Trust Me
by like m old
Summary: Mayor Meanswell and Miss Busybody are attending a mayoral conference over the weekend. Who will keep an eye out for Stephanie? Need the question be asked? Completed!
1. Bessie Finds a Way

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING of ANYTHING having to do with LazyTown. Besides, I teach so I have no money to sue for anyway. (I do have a lovely picure of Mr. Scheving, sans shirt, which I downloaded, printed out, and put on my icebox. Just to brighten my mornings.) Now that I've promoted all my fifth graders to sixth grade, and the end of school stuff is done, I thought I'd try my hand at a fic with chapters. R&R, please&thank you

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"Oh my, oh my," Mayor Meanswell mumbled as he read what appeared to be an important letter. He looked at the calender on his desk and did a double take. "But that's tomorrow!" He shook his head looking back and forth from the letter to his calender. Then his eye caught the picture of his niece, Stephanie, and the Mayor began moaning louder.

That was how Bessie Busybody found Mayor Meanswell when she arrived at work. "Milford, whatever is the matter?" Bessie asked the Mayor as she placed her purse and cell phone on her desk. She walked over to stand next to the Mayor and put a calming hand on his shoulder. "Has something happened?"

"Oh, Miss Busybody! I was looking in my desk for a pencil when I came across this official looking letter. It must have slipped into the drawer by accident."

"Well, what is it? Is it important? Who is it addressed to? Who is it from? From where was it sent? Have you ..." Bessie rambled on not pausing for breath. Finally, Mayor Meanswell interrupted her.

"

"Miss Busybody!"

"Yes, well..."

"The letter is an invitation for mayors and their secretaries to attend a dinner and conference." The Mayor resumed shaking his head.

"Why, Milford, it sounds so exciting! When are we to go? I must go shopping for a new outfit, and get my hair done, and ..."

"Tomorrow evening, and it is quite a distance away." The Mayor involuntarily took a step back away from Bessie Busybody as he waited for the information to sink in.

"WHAT?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Busybody, I wouldn't be able to go anyway. Who would take care of Stephanie?" The Mayor looked slightly relieved when he remembered Stephanie. He tried out a smile of apology on Miss Busybody who appeared to be standing in a state of shock. When he didn't get a response from Bessie, his smile faded until it disappeared completely. "I'm sorry," the Mayor repeated in a whisper.

Bessie drew in a deep breath, then became a whirlwind of activity. As she snatched up her cell phone and began dialing numbers she spoke to the Mayor.

"Don't be ridiculous, Milford. Of course we're going! You will take care of anything needing immediate attention this morning, and be ready to leave on the train tonight. I will take the rest of the day off to buy a new outfit and have my hair done." Bessie began speaking into the phone. "Yes, I need to make an appointment to have my hair done THIS MORNING!"

It was now the Mayors turn to appear to be standing in shock as he listened to Bessie.

Bessie grabbed the letter out of Mayor Meanswell's hands and glanced at it. "I will make the necessary arrangements, Milford. Just leave everything to me."

The Mayor finally began thinking again. He knew there was something he should mention. He knew Bessie would indeed take care of everything, but there was something...

"Stephanie!" the Mayor exclaimed.

Bessie looked around thinking Stephanie had actually walked into the building. She didn't see anyone, just the Mayor looking suddenly panicked. Bessie finished making her hair appointment and closed her phone. She looked at the Mayor and waited.

"I can't go because of Stephanie. I think I mentioned her earlier, come to think of it. I simply can't leave my sweet, little, niece home alone. What if she should get sick or hurt? No, we can't go, Miss Busybody," the Mayor stated. He stood up straight and tall, sure that he had a solid argument for not going.

Bessie stared at the Mayor a moment. She was not, NOT, going to let this opportunity to spend some time with Milford away from the daily grind of the local government, slip away.

Bessie slowly grinned at the Mayor, allowing it to slide across her face from ear to ear. Mayor Meanswell watched that grin work its way across Bessie's face and felt himself begin to tremble. Finally, Bessie spoke and the Mayor knew he had lost the argument for staying home to take care of Stephanie.

"Sportacus."


	2. Pop the Question

Bessie reached into her desk and pulled out a sheet of business paper. She wrote quickly in cramped, sharply leaning to the right, handwriting. Her thoughts were flying faster through her mind than her writing on the page. While she searched the office for a postal tube, the Mayor glanced at the note.

Dear Sportacus,

The Mayor is in dire need of your assistance.

Please help.

Do come, quickly.

Sincerely,

Bessie Busybody

"Miss Busybody, I really don't think the situation is quite as urgent as you've made it sound." The Mayor was worried about what Sportacus might think when he recieved the note. Perhaps there was a bank robbery, a fire, or Robbie Rotten up to no good. That's what superheros took care of, not babysitting.

"Milford! This is an emergency! We need to leave tonight and Stephanie needs a sitter. Who could possibly be a more ideal sitter than a superhero?"

Bessie rolled the note to Sportacus into the postal tube she had found, grabbed up her cell phone and purse, and walked briskly out the door. Mayor Meanswell followed her out, shoulders slumped in defeat, closing the door behind him.

They walked to the mailbox where Bessie slipped the note into the mailtube, grabbed the handle with both hands, and pulled hard. The note shot into space. Bessie and the Mayor both stood watching as it disappeared from sight.

"Now Milford," Bessie locked eyes with the Mayor, "you wait until Sportacus gets here. Tell him exactly what he needs to know and what time he should be at your house tonight. Don't get distracted. And don't take no for an answer! Then go back to the office and finish up. I shall phone you later with details. See you later!" Bessie took off walking up the street before she was finished talking to the Mayor, all atwitter with barely supressed excitement.

Once Bessie turned the corner, the Mayor looked up to the sky. A shadow passed in front of the sun and he heard a, whoosh. He spun in place trying to follow the shadow and the sound. All he wound up doing was getting himself dizzy. Sportacus grabbed the Mayor to help him stop spinning.

"Oh, Sportacus, thank goodness you're here! The world seems to be spinning out of control!"

"No, Mayor. You are a little dizzy. I've got you. Your brain just needs to slow down." Sportacus still held the Mayor by the shoulders so he wouldn't fall over.

"Oh, I doubt that. My brain has never had a problem moving too fast before."

"Was this the dire assistance you needed me for?" Sportacus asked. He slowly took his hands off the Mayor's shoulders to see if he could stand up. The Mayor's eyes were still going in circles a bit, but he could now stand up without help.

"Oh, no, no, no."

"Has there been a bank robbery?"

"No."

"A fire?"

"No."

"Is Robbie up to no good?"

"No."

Sportacus squinted his eyes in thought and scratched his head. "Then Mayor, why did Bessie send a note to me talking about you in 'dire need of assistance'?"

The Mayor was quite embarrased that his earlier prediction about what Sportacus might think when he got the note, was true. He really didn't want to waste Sportacus' time with an assignment to babysit. He wanted to tell Sportacus that Miss Busybody had made a mistake. Then the Mayor remembered the look in Miss Busybody's eye. If he couldn't get Sportacus to watch Stephanie for the weekend...AGHHHH! He didn't want to even imagine what Miss Busybody would be like, what she might do!

The Mayor was beginning to tremble, again. Sportacus didn't know what was wrong but he was getting worried.

"Mayor, are you alright? What is the problem? Can't you tell me?"

"I NEED A BABYSITTER!"

Sportacus opened his Icelandic blue eyes as wide as they could, in surprise. The Mayor began to explain the situation, putting emphasis on Miss Busybody's feelings in the matter. Sportacus crossed his arms over his chest while he listened to the Mayor. He smiled a little as he imagined just what Miss Busybody's reaction would be if she couldn't spend the weekend with Mayor Meanswell. He wouldn't wish that on anyone.

"I'll do it, " Sportacus said with a smile and shook hands with the mayor.


	3. The Sunnyside of Candyland

Pixel, Trixie, Stingy, Ziggy, and Stephanie were spending Friday hanging out in their clubhouse. During the morning they had painted the inside. Then while the paint dried, they ate a picnic lunch and played tag outside. Now, they were back inside admiring their handiwork.

"Pixel, your picture looks like a piece of pop art! It's really cool!" Stephanie complimented him.

"Thanks. Your flower garden under the window looks really...real." Pixel beamed at Stephanie. Then he turned to Stingy's art work. "Stingy, your painting looks familiar. Have I seen it before?"

Stingy admired his work and proudly announced what it was. "Yes, you might have seen it. It's called 'Three Coins in a Fountain'."

Stephanie said, "That looks like more than THREE coins, Stingy."

"Three, three thousand, does it really matter? The important thing to remember is ... it's miiine." Everyone laughed at Stingy's predictable comment.

Trixie had painted all different kinds of sports balls in her spot. She had used real balls as models to get the size and shape of the balls just right. All the other kids were surprised at how serious Trixie was taking her painting project. But, no one was about to say anything to her. She just might throw one of the real balls at them!

Ziggy had painted a scene that could easily be from the game Candyland. Above most of the scene, Ziggy had painted a bright sun shining down on the candylike village.

"Ziggy, why is your sun so big?" Trixie asked.

"Because everything looks so much better in the sunlight." Ziggy replied.

"The moon and stars don't." Pixel pointed out. Everyone laughed except Ziggy, who gave a weak chuckle and looked embaressed. No one noticed his reaction except Stephanie. She looked closely at Ziggy wondering if something was bothering him.

"Hey, anyone want to play some ball tag?" Trixie yelled. The kids ran out of the clubhouse after Trixie, except Ziggy. Stephanie was just outside the doorway when she realized that Ziggy was still inside.

"Ziggy, aren't you coming?"

"Sure."

"You don't sound very enthusiastic. What's wrong? Will you tell me?"

"Well, you know I don't like the dark. Remember when you, and Stingy, and I tried to camp out? I know everything turned out alright. But, I still don't like the dark. That's why I painted the big sun. And I felt like everyone was making fun of me."

"Ziggy, I'm sorry. I really don't think anyone meant to hurt your feelings. And you were so brave on the camp out that I had completely forgotten you didn't like the dark. I'm sure the others did too." Stephanie thought for a minute, then looked around to make sure she and Ziggy were alone.

"Ziggy, can you keep a secret?"

"Sure! I'm pretty sure. I think. Yea, Stephanie, I'll keep your secret!"

"Sometimes, I have bad dreams about the camp out. I'm like you, I know everything turned out fine, but when I'm asleep, I can see and feel the dinosaur chasing us." Stephanie shivered at the memory. "It's spooky. I end up sleeping on the sofa because the street light shines in, so it's not as dark."

"But, look Ziggy. The sun is out and shining now. Let's go play!" Stephanie grabbed Ziggy's hand and raced out the clubhouse door.

"Yea!" The kids yelled and raced around throwing and bouncing balls. They were having a great time.

And, if they were having a great time, that meant that Robbie Rotten, who had come up from his underground lair and was hiding while watching them, was most definately, NOT.


	4. Forgot What

Thank you for the many reviews! I've enjoyed them all! Sorry it took so long to update, my computer decided to pick a fight with me. I think I've won. Guess I'll find out if these chapters show up on the webpage. Thanks!

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As the sun was just about to set at the Mayor's house, Mayor Meanswell was actually smiling. He set his suitcase by the front door and waited for Miss Busybody and Sportacus to arrive. He even tried whistling a tune. He frowned for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders and went back to whistling. Somewhere, in a dusty corner of his mind, a thought nagged at him from time to time. He was sure he had forgotten to do something, but he couldn't think what.

A knock on the door sounded and the Mayor went to open it.

"Sportacus, thank you, thank you, thank you. You don't know how much this means to me," the Mayor boomed. Then he leaned in conspiratorily and whispered, "And Miss Busybody."

Sportacus chuckled and whispered back, "You are welcome."

Another knock sounded on the door.

"Come in," said the Mayor. Bessie swanned into the room in a purple, sequined, evening gown. "Miss Busybody, how bright, I mean beautiful, you look tonight."

"Why thank you, Milford! And you look quite debonair in that tux!" Both Bessie and Milford stared at one another for just a fraction of a second longer, then Bessie noticed Sportacus and addressed him.

"Now, Sportacus. I have made a short list of everything you might need to know this weekend, and included just a few suggestions. There is also a schedule which you might find helpful." Sportacus took the list. As Bessie turned back to the Mayor, the list unfolded itself, revealing it was close to two feet long! Sportacus looked panicked for a moment. He looked at Bessie, then back at the long "short" list, and smiled as he wound it around his hand and set it on a counter.

"Now Milford, are you ready? I have my bags outside the door. We can leave immediately." Bessie opened the front door revealing several suitcases of various sizes. Mayor Meanswell looked at his one suitcase. He sighed and followed Miss Busybody out the door. Again, he thought he had forgotten something. Before he could close the door, the Mayor turned and jumped back into the house. The dust in his mind had miraculously cleared.

"Stephanie!" the Mayor yelled.

Sportacus was standing in front of the Mayor. "Where is Stephanie?" he asked the Mayor while looking around.

"I forgot to tell Stephanie! She's been out playing with her friends all day, and I forgot to go look for her to tell her what is happening. Oh dear, I can't leave until I tell her. I hope she won't be too disappointed." The Mayor dropped his head into his hands and moaned. He was disappointed in himself. How could he have forgotten to find Stephanie and tell her? She was just a little girl!

Bessie heard what the Mayor said to Sportacus and returned inside to stand looking out the window. Bessie couldn't believe that she had forgotten to tell Stephanie, either. Or at least reminded the Mayor. Suddenly, Bessie saw a pink shadow shuffling up the sidewalk in the twilight.

"Milford, pull yourself together! Here comes Stephanie now!"


	5. Stumble Home

The sun was beginning to set when the kids finally collapsed on the grass. They had played hard all afternoon. They were starting to get hungry and tired. Ziggy's head was already drooping.

"Ziggy, I'll bet you'll be asleep before your head hits the pillow," Trixie teased.

"Huh?" Ziggy mumbled.

"I don't know which I am more, hungry or tired," Stingy yawned.

"Well, I'm going to go home. I still have to pack. My family is going camping tomorrow and Sunday. See you Monday!" Trixie struggled to her feat and slowly walked toward her house.

Pixel got up to go too. "I don't think I'm going to stay up long enough to play video games tonight. But that's ok. Tomorrow is a big video exhibition my folks said they would take me to. So I won't be home until late tomorrow, I guess. See you, Stephanie, Stingy, Ziggy!"

Ziggy was lying flat on his back, eyes closed, and was beginning to lightly snore. "Come on Stingy, help me walk Ziggy to his house. We can't leave him here all night," Stephanie told Stingy.

Stingy helped get Ziggy to his feet. "Come on Ziggy, wake up. Geez, you have to stop eating so much candy. You're heavy!" Stingy struggled to help Stephanie hold up Ziggy. They finally were able to get him to his house by a mix of walking and dragging him home. As the door to Ziggy's house closed, Stingy turned to walk toward his house and Stephanie to Uncle Milford's house.

"'Night Stingy."

"'Night Stephanie."

The sun had dropped below the horizon as Stephanie walked through Uncle Milford's front door.


	6. Out the Door

"Stephanie!" The yelling of her name by three excited voices almost knocked Stephanie off her feet. She had shuffled through the front door, barely awake, intent on getting a snack for supper, then crawling into her bed. Now, she was trying to keep her balance from going backwards out the door! Two hands grabbed her arms, pulled her in, and steadied her on her feet.

"Thanks, Uncle Milford," Stephanie said as she smiled tiredly. "And Sportacus?" Stephanie looked surprised and confused that Sportacus was there. She closed the door behind her. Then she really looked around her.

Sportacus stood smiling at her. Uncle Milford was smiling and dressed up in a tuxedo. And Bessie was there, too. She was smiling and dressed up in a sparkly, party dress. Stephanie looked at them and cocked her head to one side. She frowned as if trying to figure out what was going on. She looked at her Uncle Milford again, and he cleared his throat.

"Stephanie, I have something to tell you." The Mayor explained to Stephanie what was going on, apologized for not finding her earlier to explain, kissed her goodbye, and escorted Bessie out the door. "Have a good weekend, Stephanie!" The Mayor closed the door behind him with a firm, click.

Stephanie had been staring at her Uncle Milford as he explained everything. Now that he and Bessie were gone, she still stood staring at the closed door. She wondered for a moment if she had fallen asleep and was dreaming.

Sportacus stood watching Stephanie, watching the door. He felt a little nervous. Now that Mayor Meanswell and Bessie were gone, he wasn't quite sure what to do. Or more importantly, what Stephanie would do.

Stephanie was brave little girl. She had travelled by herself to visit her Uncle, here, in Lazy Town. She didn't usually cry or scare easily, as far as Sportacus knew. But, she was still a little girl, and her Uncle had just left very suddenly. And, she was _still_ staring at the door.

"Well, Stephanie. So, what would you like to do? I'll help, if you want me too." Sportacus smiled at Stephanie, a little unsure of what might happen next, but he wanted to get her mind off her Uncle and Bessie leaving. Maybe they could play a game or read a book. Maybe they could turn on some music and dance. Stephanie slowly turned around and gave Sportacus her small, tired smile. He was still waiting for Stephanie to say what she wanted. Finally, she did.

"Please, put me to bed."


	7. Put to Bed

Sportacus looked at the pink haired girl trying to keep her eyes open. There were smudges on her face and arms, and grass stains and dirt on her dress. Sportacus grinned at Stephanie, put his hands on her shoulders, and briskly marched her down the hall toward her room.

"I'll tell you what we'll do. You get ready for bed. I'll whip up a bite for supper. By the time you are finished eating, it will be around 8:08, bedtime."

Sportacus left the room to give Stephanie some privacy. As he walked toward the kitchen he hollered back, "Don't forget to wash behind your ears!"

Once in the kitchen, Sportacus got to work cooking two vegetable filled omlets. Sportacus being Sportacus, he used only the freshest ingredients. That meant cleaning and cutting up the vegetables took time. He cleaned as he worked and by the time he set the table, he could feel Stephanie's presence behind him. He pulled out a chair for her without looking at her. She walked over and sat down, while rubbing her eyes. Then he sat down himself.

"This looks and smells real good. Thank you, Sportacus." She took a bite and chewed slowly. "Umm, delicious."

"You're welcome, Stephanie. Just try not to fall asleep in it. I don't think it would make a good pillow!" Sportacus chuckled. Stephanie smiled through a yawn.

Sportacus looked more closely at Stephanie while they ate. She had obviously taken a shower, his clue being her smudges were gone and her hair was wet. He couldn't think of many little girls that took showers. Of course, he didn't know very many little girls around Stephanie's age, either.

Her lithe, little body seemed even smaller in the large, pink robe she wore. It must have been bought with the belief that someday she would grow into it. He looked at her face and almost laughed out loud. Her beautiful brown eyes were almost closed, and if her head dipped any lower, what was left of her supper would be decorating her freshly washed hair. Sportacus now noticed she hadn't bothered to brush it.

Sportacus removed the plates from the table and then pulled Stephanie's chair out. "Bedtime," he said. Stephanie's eyes popped open for a moment. She got up from her chair and walked ahead of Sportacus down the hall to her room.

"Nope, brush your teeth." Sportacus sharply steered Stephanie into the bathroom as she was going past it. Stephanie could have been sleepwalking. She was on autopilot. She brushed her teeth and walked past Sportacus back into the hall. He turned out the light and followed.

Stephanie turned down the covers on her bed and took off her robe, revealing her pink nightgown with the silver heart on it. She tossed the robe over the chair next to her dressing table. As she climbed into bed, Sportacus said, "Wait." He walked over to the table and picked up her hairbrush. "Sit up for a minute. If you go to sleep with that hair, you'll spend all day tomorrow picking tangles out, instead of playing."

Sportacus stood, with one knee on the bed behind Stephanie and began to gently brush her hair out. After her hot day in the sun, the room felt chilly to Stephanie. She barely felt Sportacus' leg on the bed behind her. She leaned back into the warmth coming from him. Stephanie knew how strong Sportacus was, but what flashed through her half-concious mind was how gentle, too. Strong and gentle at the same time, she decided she would have to think about that tomorrow. He could feel her start to droop after a few strokes of the brush. By the time he had brushed her hair dry and it looked like pink silk, Stephanie was leaning against his leg with his knee at the base of her head, holding it steady. She was totally out of it.

Sportacus put the brush down and put one hand behind Stephanie's head. Then he placed his other arm behind her shoulders and gently lowered her down onto her pillow. She never moved a muscle. He pulled the covers up to her shoulders, put the hairbrush back on the table, and turned off the light. As silently as he could, he tiptoed out of the room.

In the hall, Sportacus let out a deep breath. He hadn't realized he had been holding it and wondered, for how long?

Sportacus looked at the clock in the kitchen while he did the supper dishes. 8:26 No wonder he was tired, it was past his bedtime. He stifled a yawn while he checked the house to make sure everything was ready for the night. He spared a thought for Mayor Meanswell and Bessie, hoping they had arrived safely at the dinner and convention. He peaked in on Stephanie once more, just to make sure she was ok.

The moonlight beamed in through the bedroom window onto Stephanie's face. Her pink hair took on a silvery hue and her skin looked even more pale than normal. She almost looked ... otherworldly. Sportacus' breath caught in his throat for a split second of panic that something was wrong. But, her lips were the pink of strawberries, with a hint of a smile, and her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. She was peacefully sleeping. Sportacus tiptoed over to the bed. He leaned down and placed a light kiss on her forehead. "Sweet dreams," he silently whispered, then Sportacus headed for the sofa to get some sleep.

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Blood of the Wolf, Chiba Apey, and Spacegirl07, thank you so much for the reviews and encouragement!


	8. Run From or To

For Stephanie, her dream began with a repeating thought, strong and gentle.

_She was floating on her back against a solid warmth. Strong and gentle. The air flowing over her was cool. She was on a wave being lifted and lowered. The wave became a cloud and she burried her head in its softness. _

_She was surprised when she felt a flower petal land on her forehead. The world must have turned upside down because she was on a cloud and flowers didn't grow in the sky. She looked around and saw Sportacus' airship. The door was open and flower petals were shooting out by the bucketful. The airship was circling the cloud she was on. She had to have the flower petals, but the airship stayed just beyond her reach! It was frustrating! _

_She watched the flower petals float past until her cloud started to become too warm. She struggled to kick at the fluffiness to free her legs. She could feel the cool air tickle her toes to her knees. _

_She reached out for the flower petals, again. She wanted them to cover her. She wanted to breathe their scent They were floating down and covering Lazy Town, it seemed she couldn't reach them but everyone else could! _

_She could hear Stingy yelling, "They're miiiine!" She could see Trixie getting ready to clobber Stingy. Stephanie had to stop them. Robbie Rotten joined in the fight for the flower petals. He was chasing Stingy. _

_Stephanie heard sniffling and sobbing coming from the clubhouse. She knew instinctively it was Ziggy. Ziggy was sitting under the picture he had painted, but now there was no sun over his land of candy. _

_"I'm sorry, Stephanie. I told your secret." _

_"Who did you tell it to?" _

_"Robbie Rotten." _

_"Oh, no!" _

_Stephanie raced out of the clubhouse. It had become night. Robbie was nowhere to be seen, but in his place, the dinosaur had returned. It was chasing Stingy! Stephanie choked back a scream. The dinosaur blended well into the dark of night. Except for its eyes. The color of molten gold, the eyes seemed to be looking everywhere from high above the rooftops. _

_Stephanie ran to get Sportacus but stumbled and fell. When she looked up, Stingy was gone. Instead, her superhero was being attacked by the dinosaur. She could hear the monster bellowing at Sportacus, it almost sounded like words. _

_"I WANT YOU GONE!" _

_It picked up Sportacus and shook him like a dog with a doll. Stephanie stared in horror. If the dinosaur won and destroyed Sportacus, there would be nothing left of Lazy Town, no reason to stay! Stephanie was terrified, but she had to at least try and save Sportacus. She grabbed a baseball bat and crept up behind the dinosaur. She raised the bat to swing, and suddenly the dinosaur dropped Sportacus. It turned and glared at Stephanie with fire in its eyes, then it was gone. _

_Sportacus lay still on his side. She crawled to him and lay her head on his chest, praying she would hear a heartbeat or feel him breathe. With relief, she felt both. She was exhausted. She wanted to cry. In the end she just stayed where she was in an attempt to keep him warm and safe. Slowly, as sleep overcame her, she relaxed. "That dinosaur will have to go through me to get you." She knew he heard her. He wrapped an arm around her waist. She felt the corded muscles in his arm ripple at the movement, and she did feel safe._

Stephanie had gotten warm under her covers and kicked them off. If Sportacus hadn't been sleeping so soundly on the sofa, he might have heard Stephanie make a choking sound. He might have heard her crawl down the hall to the sofa.

As it was, it barely registered in his mind when she climbed up on the sofa and laid her head on his chest. He knew he had gotten chilly and now was warmer. He could feel a hand alternately patting and making small circles on his shoulder, and he thought it felt good. It was comforting.

Sportacus pried his eyes open and found Stephanie clutching him to her. He was surprised to see her, but had gone to bed so late, he was almost to tired to care.

Sportacus heard Stephanie mumble something as she clutched at him again. He caught the word dinosaur, and figured she must have been sleepwalking while dreaming. He wished he could save her from dreams, but even a superhero can't quite manage that.

Sportacus brushed her hair away from her face and planted a firm kiss on the top of her head, then picked up one of her hands. He laced his fingers through hers and gave it a squeeze.

Sportacus wrapped a massive arm around Stephanie to protect her from whatever might appear in both their dreams.

For the remainder of the night, they slept peacefully.


	9. Who Told

Crrrunch! Sportacus' eyes popped open at the crunching sound. His Icelandic blue eyes met Stephanie's chocolate brown eyes inches from each other.

"Good morning, Sportacus. What's for breakfast?"

"It looks like apples to start."

Stephanie was stretched out looking and feeling very comfortable on Sportacus. Her arms were crossed resting on his chest. She occasionally would take a bite from the apple in her hand. She smiled a lazy smile and wiggled her toes which tickled Sportacus' knees. Amazingly, the superhero giggled. Could he actually be ticklish?

"Why do you have an apple?" Sportacus asked her.

"Because I got hungry. See, there's a bowl of fruit on the table behind the sofa. I really wanted a banana, but the apple was all I could reach."

"Why didn't you just get up to reach the banana?"

"How?"

Sportacus stared at Stephanie blankly. What did she mean, how?

"Everytime I moved a muscle you would hug me tighter. I'm glad your arm is around my waist and not my neck, otherwise I might have suffocated or strangled. You're lucky I didn't throw up on you," Stephanie chuckled at her observation. Sportacus did not. He hadn't realized he had imprisoned Stephanie in his arms.

Sportacus leapt off the sofa, Stephanie still in his arms, and set her gently on her feet. She had been about to take another bite when she felt Sportacus' muscles tense to move. She dug her teeth into the apple while grabbing his shoulders and hanging on for the move. Now she stood on her feet, hands sliding down his arms to her side as he released her, with her teeth still dug into the apple. Stephanie suddenly felt very alone and her expression showed it. Sportacus didn't like that expression. He felt the same thing when he let her go, a loss. He didn't like the feeling anymore than Stephanie.

Sportacus snapped his fingers, "Right, waffles"

Stephanie began jumping up and down and clapping her hands. Her eyes smiled. She was making muffled cheering noises around the apple. Sportacus grinned at her antics, reached out and pulled the apple from her mouth.

"I love waffles, but Uncle Milford hardly ever makes them! Can I have strawberries on top? Or peaches with whipped cream? Please?"

"You go get dressed and I'll see what I can find." He watched Stephanie skip down the hall. "And brush your hair this time!" he called after her. He took a bite of her apple and went to fix waffles for breakfast.

Stephanie was back in the kitchen before breakfast was ready. Sportacus noticed her hair was brushed. He finished cooking while she set the table.

"What do you have planned for today, Stephanie?"

"Oh, I don't know."

"Are you going to play with your friends?"

"Well, Pixel and Trixie are out of town, but, yeah, I think Stingy and Ziggy and I will probably play. What are you going to do, Sportacus?"

"I need to check the airship and make sure everything is alright on it. I can't remember when I haven't slept there. Then I thought I would take a look around town since the Mayor is gone, just to make sure everything is as it should be."

Sportacus served breakfast and they ate in silence for a time. He was amazed at the number of waffles Stephanie was eating. Good thing she was a growing girl, that robe she had worn last night would fit in no time. Sportacus smiled, then drew his brows together in thought.

"Stephanie, tell me about the dinosaur."

Stephanie dropped her fork with a clatter and stared at Sportacus. "What dinosaur?" she whispered.

"The dinosaur in your dream."

Stephanie stood up suddenly. She had turned red and held her head in her hands. "Ziggy! I can't believe he did it! He said he wouldn't and he did! HOW COULD HE?" She looked around wildly.

"Who said anything about Ziggy?" Sportacus looked confused.

"I told Ziggy my secret about the dinosaur and he went and blabbed! He was the only one who knew. It had to be him!"

"I haven't talked to Ziggy in two days."

"Then, how do know about the dinosaur?" Stephanie was starting to pace back and forth in front of the kitchen counter. As she paced past Sportacus he jumped up from his chair and grabbed Stephanie by the arm. He spun her around to face him and held her face in his hands. He looked into her eyes intent on getting her to focus.

"Calm down, Stephanie. _You_ told me about the dinosaur. I'm still not clear on _what_ dinosaur you're talking about, but I heard of it from you."

"I'm sorry, Sportacus. I don't remember telling you, only Ziggy," Stephanie sadly answered. She was close to tears. First she thought Ziggy had told her secret. Then she was embarressed when she thought Sportacus knew her fear. Finally, she was ashamed she freaked out in front of Sportacus and he had to tell her to calm down. She still couldn't figure out when she told him.

"You said something about a dinosaur last night, in your sleep, " Sportacus gently replied. He lifted Stephanie onto the counter and then leaned back against it. "Were you dreaming?"

Stephanie slowly told Sportacus about the dinosaur dream she usually had, then quickly told him about the dream last night. For some reason she felt a little embarrassed. Sportacus listened carefully, and to Stephanie's relief he didn't laugh or even smile. When she was finished, Sportacus lifted her down off the counter. He drew her to him and held her for a moment in a tight embrace.

"Thank you, Stephanie, for saving me," Sportacus said. He was serious.

"It was just a dream," Stephanie mumbled into his chest.

"Friends always take care of each other, as best they can. Sometimes it is easy and sometimes it is hard. And sometimes it is in dreams. The meaning and intent are the same." Sportacus bent down to finish talking to her. "Let's make a deal. I"ll take care of us when we're awake, and you take care of us when we're asleep. Okay?" Sportacus grinned teasingly.

"Okay." Stephanie grinned back and they shook hands on the deal.

"Good. Now that is settled, lets get going."

Stephanie opened the door and looked outside. "It's going to be a beautiful day, Sportacus! No one can deny it."

As Stephanie skipped down the street to see if Ziggy and Stingy were up yet, her mind happened to trip over the thought of one person who _would _deny it. Sportacus had the same thought, and wondered what he was up to. Robbie Rotten.

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Ok. guys, I'm feeling the pressure. My storyline has hit the wall and I need a break. I hope to have more chapters up by the weekend. Thanks again for the support and encouragement.


	10. Disguise Time

Robbie Rotten's Friday began well enough. He was sleeping peacefully, dreaming of cake and Sportacus. He would alternately eat a cake, then throw another one at Sportacus who was chained to a wall. Robbie smacked his lips and jerked violently in his sleep when he threw the cake. Sometimes he would giggle. Through all these actions, he slept. Until...

Robbie woke with a start. He could hear the pounding of feet running wildly on the Earth's surface and screeching. Robbie rolled his eyes and shook his head. He emitted a weeping sound as he struggled up from his fuzzy orange chair. He stalked over to his periscope. He could see the kids running around, it looked like they were playing tag. Robbie could see the remnants of a picnic lunch next to the clubhouse.

"...and is that paint?" He could see cans sitting outside the door of the clubhouse. "It looks like disgustingly cheery colors, too." Robbie continued to look at the paint cans. There were splotches and runs of color down the sides. Something was wrong. Robbie frowned hard trying to think. Something was missing. Stephanie ran through his line of vision with Stingy right behind. Robbie flapped his hands trying to get them to move out of his sight. Suddenly, he knew what was missing. Pink! Where was the pink paint? His eyes darted back and forth looking for pink. No pink paint? Amazing! Robbie, much to his chagrin, was curious.

Robbie stealthily worked his way over to the clubhouse without being seen. He had one close call when Bessie came flying around a corner. She had obviously just had her hair done and was on her cell phone.

"... wonderful, Milford! And did you finish everything at the office? Good. Now, we will leave on the 7:30 train. Oh, and make sure your tuxedo is..." Bessie continued down the street past the tree Robbie had hidden behind.

Robbie stared after Bessie in irritation, then it dawned on him what she had been saying. She had been talking to the Mayor. They were leaving on the 7:30 train. Robbie pursed his lips and scratched his head in thought. 7:30 tonight? With or without Stephanie? And it they _were _going without Stephanie, what was going to happen to her?

"Ow, Trixie! Don't shove so hard. It's tag, not tackle!" Robbie could hear Stingy yell.

Robbie shook his head violently to clear thoughts of Bessie, the Mayor, and Stephanie. Back to the matter at hand.

Just as Robbie reached the clubhouse, the kids quieted down and went inside to admire the painting they had done that morning.

"Of course, once I make it all the way over here they settle down! Naturally! Grrrr." Robbie growled in frustration. "Why couldn't they have done this sooner? Or better yet, not at all." He peaked in the window of the clubhouse and evesdropped on their conversation. When Trixie yelled for a game of ball tag, he winced, started to yell no, and promptly threw both hands over his mouth before he gave himself away.

"Ziggy, aren't you coming?" Robbie heard Stephanie ask. Robbie put his ear a little closer to the window. As he listened to Ziggy and Stephanie's conversation, Robbie started grinning. Then he began rubbing his hands together. This was too good. This was great information! Now, what could he use it for? Surely, he could come up with a plan using this information to his advantage.

As Stephanie and Ziggy left the clubhouse to join the ball tag game, Robbie slowly stood from his crouching position. Very slowly. He was stiff and out of shape. Robbie shook himself all over to loosen up.

"Hmmm. Tomorrow will NOT be a repeat of today. I will come up with a brilliant plan and ruin their day, not they ruin MINE." Robbie pounded his chest for emphasis which made him loose his breath and stagger backwards into the tree.

Robbie stomped off to his underground lair rubbing his head and grumbling about the noise.

When Robbie reached home, he immediately went over to his disguises. He was sure he could find something suitable. A doctor? Done that. A fairy? Done that. He ran through his disguises with twisted and mean thoughts in mind. He really wanted to do the dinosaur again. Especially now that he knew Ziggy and Stephanie's secret. But, that disguise was really hot, and it took him hours to get out of the head. Nope, dinosaur was out.

What would throw them off guard the most? What would they not be expecting? Robbie moved past the pirate disguise and came face to face with IT. Oh, this was brilliant. Robbie began laughing and jumping around for joy. No one would suspect him in this disguise. They would never recognize him! Robbie tried it on. Perfect. He looked like a big kid. An everyday, normal, _big_, kid. He walked over to look in a mirror. Oh, yeah. "And handsome, too." Robbie sighed in satisfaction.

Robbie was dressed in a light green T-shirt and jeans. Somehow, he had managed to squish his chin into near normalcy. He had short, dark, curly hair. His eyes sparkled. Anyone seeing him walking down the street would undoubtedly think, there goes a good-looking, big, kid.

Robbie stuck his hand out toward the mirror as if to shake hands with his image. Yup, the perfect disguise.

"Hi there. Just call me Karl," Robbie giggled. "Stefan Karl."

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Blood of the Wolf - have a great trip, be careful, and there will be more when you get back.

Thanks for the break guys. Nothing like sitting in the doctor's office for close to two hours to jump start the writing process. You will be happy to hear I have some idea where this is going.


	11. Pop is Not Always Pop

Saturday morning, bright and early, Robbie Rotten's alarm clock began ringing. After hitting the snooze button a half dozen times, he finally threw it against the wall. The resulting crash and bang woke him. He bolted to his feet and stared at the remains of the offending alarm clock. If the clock hadn't already been smashed, the look Robbie gave it, would have. Suddenly, Robbie remembered why he had set the alarm clock to begin with. He grinned at the clock remains and did a ten second jig.

Huffing and puffing from so much exertion first thing in the morning, Robbie walked over to his disguise platform. He took a moment at the top of the steps to breathe, then he put on his big kid disguise that he had picked out the yesterday. He walked over to the mirror for one last look.

"Still perfect."

Robbie had come up with a plan. While he was willing to admit it wasn't a stupendous plan, a fantastic plan, or even a great plan, he thought it was at least a good plan.

Robbie hurried over to his microwave inventor. He put in several cans of regular soda pop, a bag of sugar, and several cups of coffee. As he closed the door on the microwave, he stood up tall and stretched. He casually turned it on, like he had all the time in the world. As the microwave smoked and thumped, Robbie checked the fingernails on his left hand, then twirled one of his new curls of hair around his finger. Finally, the microwave binged.

Robbie had wrapped the curl around his finger too tightly and was trying desperately to get his hand free to open the microwave door. All pretense of patience was gone. He finally used his other hand to open the door, at the same time his finger came loose from the curl. He slapped the finger from the curl against the opening door while his face was enveloped in a cloud of steam. He howled in pain and jumped back several feet, sucking his hurt fingers. He still reached in to take out the cans of soda pop too soon. He picked up one of the cans and burned his fingers on the hand that was ok. Again, Robbie yowled in pain and dropped the hot can on his very sensitive toes. His burned fingers hurt. He tried to stick all his fingers in his mouth at once, and succeeded.

Some time later, after his fingers had cooled and his toes had feeling again, Robbie carefully tried to pick up a can of pop. They were ready. He was ready. He had found an old, green, insulated, backpack in which he put the pop cans. He also put in one can of pop still in its original state.

"One last thing to check, then I'm good to go."

Robbie peered through his periscope. He scanned in several directions then stopped abruptly.

"There they are. The sweet, wonderful, children. Yeah, right. Grrrr." Robbie growled a warning at Stingy, Ziggy, and Stephanie, even though they couldn't see or hear him. He noticed they were shooting hoops and having a good time.

"Well, here we go." Robbie sounded quite cheerful muttering those words as he headed above ground.

Robbie knew his mission was going to take a lot of energy, mental and physical. So he walked very slowly to the ball court. When he got near the court, he took out the unaltered can of pop, opened it, and took a sip. Then he continued walking toward the kids.

"Hey, watch the elbow, Stingy, you almost hit my lollipop!" Ziggy yelled.

"Here, Ziggy, I'm open! Throw it here!" Stephanie yelled to Ziggy.

"You don't need a lollipop to play basketball and I want the ball, it's MIIINE!" Stingy yelled to Ziggy.

Ziggy shot the ball to the hoop, but it hit the backboard too hard and bounced off. It shot over Stephanie's head, and Stingy's arms stretched high in the air. Ziggy was on the wing of the court, so he was nowhere near it. The ball bounced then rolled to a stop, under a sneaker clad foot.

The kids were surprised to see someone new. They all had their mouths hanging open. Stephanie was the first to recover. She remembered what it was like to be the new kid in town. True, the new kid wasn't smiling, and he was a really big kid. Still, maybe he was just shy. Stephanie marched over to him smiling and held out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Stephanie, and that's Ziggy and Stingy. What's your name?"

Robbie Rotten was trying very hard to keep from gagging. He supposed he would have to shake her hand. Ooo, girl germs. Then "the plan" flashed through his mind. He took a quick drink from the pop in his hand and thought to himself, be cool, be cool.

"Hi, I'm Stefan, Stefan Karl." Robbie took the hand offered and gave it a quick pump. Inwardly, he took a deep breath and forged on. "Stephanie. That's a pretty name. And I bet your favorite color is pink, " Robbie crooned. He was trying hard to focus on the kids' reactions, and ignore his gut tied in knots. This might be harder than he had thought.

"Yeah, I do like pink. How did you know?" Stephanie chuckled.

"Hey! Are we going to play ball or not?" Ziggy asked. He didn't like the way the new kid, Stefan, was talking to Stephanie. "If not, I'll go eat my lollipop somewhere else."

"Do you play ball, Stefan?" Stephanie asked.

"No, where I'm from, _big_ kids do other things." Robbie tried to maintain a posture of coolness.

"Really? Like what?" Stingy asked. Ziggy wandered a little bit closer. Robbie had Stephanie's full attention, too.

"Well, we stand around and talk a lot..." Stefan began.

Stephanie interupted him, "That doesn't sound like any fun."

"...and we enjoy pop," Stefan concluded.

That got Ziggy's attention. "Pop! You mean like lollipops? Because I love lollipops!" Ziggy had rushed up to the side of his great, new friend, Stefan.

"No, not lollipops," Robbie realized he had answered to sharply when all three kids took a big step back away from him. He tried a smile and softer tone. "I'm talking about soda pop. It wakes you up and gives you energy. It makes you big, too. I have several everyday. All the cool kids drink it." He took a long, slow, drink from the can.

The three kids were staring at him. Stingy looked interested, Stephanie looked doubtful, and Ziggy was drooling. Robbie hoped he had them hooked, but he couldn't be sure yet. He just hoped they weren't staring at him because his disguise was falling apart. The next comment reasurred him that all was well.

"CAN I HAVE SOME?" Ziggy practically screamed. Stingy joined in, "MIIINE, I WANT SOME, TOO!" Robbie immediately took off his backpack and opened it. He gently reached inside and pulled out a can of pop. He looked from Ziggy to Stingy, and back again. Both boys were acting like large atoms, vibrating in place. Their hands were out toward Robbie, fingers begging to have the first can. Robbie finally could stand the suspense no longer.

"Here, Ziggy." If Ziggy was this bad without the pop, Robbie couldn't wait to see what he would be like with it. He reached into the bag quickly and pulled out a second pop. "Here, Stingy, one for you." Robbie watched, smiling, while both boys opened the cans and started chugging. Robbie hadn't felt this way in a long time. It was happy. The plan was going well. He turned to Stephanie.

"And Stephanie, I have one for you, too."

"No, thank you. I don't think so." Stephanie backed away and watched Ziggy and Stingy. They were going to drain the pop cans pretty quick. Sure enough, by the time she finished the thought, they were through.

"Hey, Stefan, that was great!" Ziggy exclaimed.

"Most excellent," Stingy added.

"Do you have anymore?" Ziggy asked while Stingy nodded his head in agreement.

"Why sure boys. Plenty more where that came from." Robbie was trying to keep from laughing madly. This was almost too easy.

"Ziggy, Stingy, don't you want to play basketball?" Stephanie asked.

"No way, I want more of this!" Ziggy was well into his second can of pop already. Stingy had trouble opening it, but finally did so on the verge of a tantrum.

Robbie looked at Stephanie from under hooded eyes. He walked over to her and leaned down to be on her level, and looked her in the eye.

"Are you sure you don't want some pop, Stephanie?" Robbie smiled and tried to give off feelings of friendship, but he could tell it wasn't working.

Stephanie looked in Stefan's eyes. She got distracted for a moment considering the color of his eyes. Were they pale blue? Gray? Green? She thought they looked familiar. She pulled her head back and looked again. Whatever color they were, those eyes were not smiling.

"No. I...I think I'll take a walk. I have some things on my mind."

She didn't feel good as the new kid, Stefan, pursed his lips in derision and turned his back on her. She didn't feel good about leaving Ziggy and Stingy alone with Stefan, either. As she began to walk away, she wasn't sure where she was going yet, she turned back to look at Stingy and Ziggy. They certainly weren't worried about anything. They looked like they were having the time of their lives. As Stephanie rounded a corner, she could hear all three boys laughing.

The last thing that reached her ears was Stefan talking to Stingy.

"So, Stingy, is that your car? Can...we take it for a spin?"


	12. Road Rage

Stephanie had gone to the treehouse to think, just before lunch. She had passed Sportacus flipping through town.

"Hi, Stephanie!" He stopped in his tracks when she didn't answer him right away. This was not the same girl that had left the house in such high spirits this morning. "Is everything all right?"

"Hi, Sportacus. Um, there's a new kid in town. Stingy and Ziggy decided to spend time with him instead of playing basketball with me." Her voice was etched with disappointment and she seemed to be a little nervous.

"A new kid, huh. He doesn't like to play basketball?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Apparently not."

"Does the new kid have a name?"

"Stefan. He's a really _big_ kid."

"Is he nice?"

"Well, ... he did share." Stephanie threw her arms out then let them drop to her sides. She didn't want to talk about Stefan anymore. She didn't want Sportacus to think she was jealous that Ziggy and Stingy preferred to spend their time with Stefan.

"What are you doing, Sportacus?"

"I was hoping I would run into you, Stephanie. I wondered if you kids would let me use some of the paint left over from your clubhouse?"

Stephanie looked surprised and smiled at him. "Sure! Do you want some help? What are you going to paint?"

Sportacus chuckled. "I don't need any help, but thank you for the offer. Since I'm staying at the Mayor's house, I thought this would be a good time to get some odds and ends painted inside my airship. It will give the paint time to dry, and I won't have to sleep in the fumes. I anchored it in your Uncle's backyard, though, to keep an eye on it. I don't want it to blow away or have Robbie decide to take it for another spin!" They both shook their heads at that thought.

Sportacus looked at Stephanie with sympathy and became serious. "And don't worry about the boys, Stephanie. I'm sure if you give them a chance, later they will want to play with you again. Growing up can be hard. Sometimes, you end up being the odd one out. But, in the end, real friends come back and help each other. It's friends that help keep life from running you over." He patted Stephanie on the shoulder and she smiled weakly up at him. "I'll see you for supper tonight. Around sunset?"

"Yes, Sportacus."

"Good, it's a date." Sportacus bounded away grinning from ear to ear. His grin was contagious. Stephanie found herself grinning as well.

"Good luck with your painting!" Stephanie called after him. He waved a hand back at her and flipped over a wall out of sight. Her grin faded away. She clenched her hands into fists and took a deep, ragged breath. All she wanted to do was run after Sportacus and throw herself against that solid superhero. She wished she could go back to this morning when she woke up safe in his arms knowing nothing could hurt her. A tear trickled down her cheek. She swiped at it with a fist. Sportacus said growing up was hard.

"It sure is!" and then Stephanie had continued her trek to the treehouse.

Now, it was early evening already, and she had a headache from thinking so hard and being confused. She wasn't just confused about Ziggy, Stingy, and Stefan, either. Sportacus somehow ended up in the mix. And she didn't understand that. What was there to be confused about with Sportacus? She had fun with all her friends, including Sportacus, but just lately...

"Oh, never mind." She shook her head to clear it of her current thoughts. "I wonder if Sportacus remembers that time Ziggy accidentally gave him that candy apple?" She smiled at the memory. "I held his hand to comfort him, and if I let go, he would reach out for me." Her smile got bigger until she realized what had just happened. She shook her head even harder this time. "Good grief! Boys!"

She had skipped lunch and was beginning to get hungry. She knew she would eventually have to climb down, but she didn't want to face that Stefan. She also knew what people said, you have to face your problems. She decided that was what she would do. She would grow up and handle it.

Stephanie stood looking out the window. The sun would be setting soon. She certainly didn't want to face any problems in the dark. There were big, roaring things that could wipe you out in the dark. Stephanie took a deep breath, let it out in a, whoosh, and descended the ladder.

"I have to do this. I have to do this," Stephanie repeated to herself over and over. She had heard the boys yelling and laughing all afternoon. Occasionally, Stingy would drive by in his car with Ziggy running right behind. Apparently, the pop did give you more energy, and Ziggy was talking as fast as his legs were running. There was no sign of Stefan. "Probably standing around talking to himself, since that's what _big kids_ do." Stephanie's voice dripped sarcasm...and hurt. She continued walking with purpose down the street. At the last moment, she decided to take the long way home.

Stefan, aka Robbie Rotten, was stretched out resting on a bench. Stingy wouldn't let either Stefan or Ziggy drive his car. As much as Robbie enjoyed the arguments over the car between the boys, he didn't care for the noise. Both boys had enough pop in them at this point, that it was a miracle _they_ hadn't popped.

Stingy came driving back and pulled his car alongside the bench. Ziggy arrived ten seconds later panting heavily and gasping for breath.

"Hey, Stefan, ... another ... pop?" Ziggy asked. "I'm ... thirsty," he gasped. Robbie reached into the backpack for another pop and handed it to Ziggy without looking at him.

"We're almost out, boys," Robbie replied sadly.

"One more for the road?" Stingy held a trembling hand out toward Robbie for a can. Robbie handed him one, shaking his head as he did so. He glanced at Ziggy and looked closer at him. His left eye was twitching, just short of a wink. Robbie decided he'd had enough free entertainment for the day and stood up.

"Well boys, Stingy, Ziggy, it's been a joy spending the day with you, but I have to go." With that, Robbie made to leave.

Stingy jumped out of his car and leapt at Robbie, grabbing the backpack. Robbie stopped with a jerk and spun around.

"Wait, a minute! What do you mean? You're leaving? Now?" Stingy's voice cracked with emotion, staring at Stefan with wild eyes. If Stefan left, where would he get his pop?

Robbie looked at the sun about to dip below the horizon. "My my, where did the day go? It's going to be dark soon. I'm getting hungry for supper," Robbie cut his eyes slyly at Stingy and Ziggy, "and _little_ boys should be home in bed." Robbie tugged the backpack from Stingy's fingers. Stingy was insulted by the little boys comment, but Ziggy had frozen in place at the mention of it being dark soon. "Of course, if you aren't worried about being out after dark, then there is no problem," Robbie looked directly at Ziggy and continued, "is there?" With that parting shot, the boys watched their new friend saunter off down the street. "See you later, boys."

Stingy stood trembling watching Stefan walk away. The more he thought about Stefan's comments, the angrier he became. "Well, of all the nerve! What did he mean by that? Of course we're not afraid to be out after dark. Only _babies_ are afraid of the dark! Ridiculous!" Stingy was on the verge of a sugar crash. He was trembling badly, beginning to get a headache, was grouchy, angry at Stefan, and tired. Of course, if anyone had asked him, he would have denied it all.

Ziggy on the other hand, had a high sugar tolerance. He was still going strong. He glanced at the sky and saw the sun just beginning to dip below the horizon. His fear of the dark increased. Then he looked at Stingy. His felt anger begin to squash the fear. HE was NOT a BABY! What did Stingy mean by saying that? How could he? Ziggy glared daggers at Stingy's back through twitching eyes.

Ziggy wanted to get back at Stingy. And he would show Stefan what kind of little kid he was! Ziggy, still clutching his last can of pop, jumped into Stingy's car. Stingy turned just in time to see Ziggy jump in. Stingy began yelling at Ziggy and ran toward the car just as Ziggy got it moving. Stingy dived onto the back, grasping onto the edge of the back seat and hanging on for dear life. Now that Ziggy was driving the car, he was not about to stop. If Stingy fell off, then, that was his own fault. Stingy should have let Ziggy and Stefan take turns driving the car earlier. Ziggy took a swig from his pop can and took the next corner sharp. Stingy almost flew off. Ziggy kept driving.

Ziggy felt the rush of the fast car, the pop, the anger. He didn't know where he was driving. He didn't know how long he had been driving. He didn't care. Stingy didn't know if he could hang on much longer.

The final sliver of the sun was dropping out of sight when Ziggy shot the car down the street Mayor Meanswell lived on. Ziggy guzzled the last of the pop, threw the can away as hard as he could, and glanced back at Stingy. Stingy was still yelling at Ziggy, but much more slowly, and with more effort. His fingers were beginning to slip. Stingy thought about just letting go. He was so tired, and every muscle in his body hurt. He was sure he was going to throw up.

Ziggy's eyes were having trouble focusing. His suger high was crashing. He took his eyes off Stingy and glanced back at the road in front of him. "Oh, no! Ahhhh!" He saw a shadow move into the road.

Stephanie was crossing the street to her Uncle's house, walking slowly, head down, thinking. She heard yelling and looked up while standing in the middle of the street.

"Is that Ziggy driving Stingy's car?" Stephanie squinted in the twilight. "Stingy never lets anyone else drive his car." She waited for Ziggy to slow down, but he kept coming. Her breath caught in her throat. Stephanie couldn't move. He wasn't going to stop! Then she heard Ziggy yell. She heard the squeal of the brakes as Ziggy slammed them. The back of the car fishtailed throwing Stingy into Uncle Milford's front yard. Ziggy couldn't believe it. He was about to hit Stephanie! How did this happen? He took his hands off the wheel to cover his eyes.

As the car squealed toward Stephainie, a roaring filled her ears. She braced herself for the impact and screamed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH..."


	13. Anything Else Care to Happen

"NO!" Sportacus seemed to materialize from thin air. He stood between Stephanie and the car. With one hand, he threw Stephanie to safety in the Mayor's yard. She flew over a stack of paint cans and landed hard. With his other hand, Sportacus picked up the front bumper of the car, inches from hitting him. The breaks were still squealing.

Ziggy, with his eyes covered, was waiting for the impact when the car hit Stephanie. He was surprised to feel a lifting sensation. Then he heard Sportacus.

"Ziggy, turn off the car!"

Ziggy peaked between his fingers and saw Sportacus. He turned off the car and Sportacus dropped it back to the street, none too gently. Ziggy looked at Sportacus again. He had never seen such a look on the superhero's face before.

Sportacus stared daggers at Ziggy. He didn't say a word, make a sound, or move a muscle. Slowly, Ziggy became aware of Sportacus' breathing. He could hear Stephanie sniffling, and Stingy was retching. The pop and emotions of the day finally got to him.

"Sportacus, I..., " Ziggy began, but he was cut off.

"_What were you thinking? You could have killed Stephanie_!" Sportacus spoke in almost a whisper. But his tone ... The day flashed in Ziggy's mind's eye. He knew a sorry wouldn't be enough this time. He screwed up today ... bad.

Sportacus tore his eyes from Ziggy with effort. He looked over at Stephanie still sitting where she landed. Then he walked over to Stingy.

"Stingy, are you just sick, or are you hurt, too?" Sportacus' voice was tightly controlled.

Stingy looked up at Sportacus. "Bumps and bruises. Ziggy stole my car," Stingy flatly replied.

Sportacus flexed his hands. He walked back to the front of Stingy's car and rubbed his eyes. For a split second, Stephanie thought she saw something. She didn't see a superhero. She saw an ordinary man. He was worn and tired, and maybe ... discouraged. Then, Sportacus stood straight and tall and tilted his face to the moon coming up. The last of twilight was receding into darkness.

Spotacus looked at Stingy and Ziggy in turn. "It's late. Go home."

Ziggy climbed out of the car. Stingy started to get in the car but Sportacus stopped him. "No, Stingy. You are in no better shape to drive than Ziggy. The car stays here until tomorrow." The look on Sportacus' face dared Stingy to argue with him.

The boys stood looking at the car while Sportacus turned to go to Stephanie. As they started to walk home they heard an odd sound and turned back around. Sportacus tripped over the pop can Ziggy had thrown earlier. He lost his balance, and fell head first into the pile of paint cans he had stacked on the lawn when he finished the painting in his airship.

"Fjandinn!" Sportacus uttered the word with feeling while spread on the grass covered in paint.

Stingy and Ziggy looked at each other in wonder. "Remember, Mayor Meanswell said when Sportacus first came, that he was from an island in the North Sea? Maybe it's a word from there."

Sportacus stood up and looked at the boys, who were looking at him. "Go. Home." The boys turned and once again started down the street. Sportacus looked down at himself with smears and blotches of paint. In the distance he could hear Stingy talking to Ziggy.

"I wonder if a superhero's suit is stain resistant. Do you think his crystal is waterproof?"

Sportacus turned and looked at Stephanie. Her mouth was hanging open in amazement at the sight Sportacus made. He walked over to her to help her up, but she jumped up on her own. She flinched a little when she stood up straight. They looked at each other in the darkening evening until Sportacus broke the silence.

He tried a smile. "We had a dinner date, didn't we?"

Stephanie gave him a smile back. "At sunset."

Sportacus sighed. "Let me get cleaned up, Stephanie, then I'll take care of everything. I'm sure you're hurt and I know we are both tired. I'll fix something simple for supper and we can call it a night. Okay?"

Stephanie nodded her head, yes.

Sportacus took off his boots and left them outside the door. No point in getting any more paint in the house than need be. He tried to make sure he was done dripping, then headed inside.

Stephanie followed him in and went over to the sofa. She sat down on it and hugged a pillow to her chest. The events and stresses of the day finally caught up with her. She nodded off curled up in a corner of the sofa.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Robbie Rotten had gone home after leaving the boys begging for more pop, feeling satisfied. That was a feeling he seldom experienced. When he got home, he immediately stripped out of his Stefan Karl disguise.

"Looking good is exhausting. I'm certainly glad _I_ don't have curls, I'll bet girls would like to run their fingers through them." Robbie shuddered at the thought. "Still, the disguise served its purpose. Those brats were in bad shape when I left. Now, I just have to wait for the sun to go down, and I'll complete the plan!" Robbie sat down to watch some TV and eat an entire chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting, all by himself. Snuggling down in his furry chair he sighed with contentment.

Sometime later, Robbie woke with a start. He looked at his clock. "Yes! It should be dark!" Robbie grabbed a flashlight and headed topside. He climbed out his hatch and dropped to the ground. He turned on the flashlight. Then he started tiptoeing to a spot a few yards away.

"Here it is, the town's power station. Where did I see that switch?"

Robbie found a ridiculously large switch with the words TOWN POWER SUPPLY written in large letters above it. A slightly smaller sign below the first said, ON, and below the switch was a sign that said, OFF. Robbie looked up at the stars beginning to twinkle in the night sky. Then he looked at all the town lit up.

"Hope everyone is safe at home, and all the little kiddies in their beds." Robbie grinned wickedly. "'Night, 'night!" Robbie growled, then his laughter chortled through the air as he pulled the switch, and watched all the lights in the town go out. Robbie waltzed back home, his work complete.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Stephanie woke with a start. She realized what had awakened her was her stomach growling. She remembered she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast! She went to the kitchen and fixed a plate of sliced apples, bannanas, grapes, crackers, and cheese. She grabbed a couple pieces and made a mini sandwich.

Then she walked down the hall to her room. Her clothes were damp from where she landed in the grass. She peeled her clothes off and put on a pink tank top and matching sweatpants that were getting too short. Then she wandered back down the hall. As she passed the bathroom, it dawned on her the door was closed and she could hear water running.

"It has to be Sportacus." Stephanie stared at the door amazed. Once or twice she had wondered if he ever took his superhero suit off. Did he have several different suits, or just one that he washed over and over. Though come to think of it, Stephanie had never seen the suit dirty. Maybe Stingy had a point. She listened to the water running. She wondered if he wore his goggles in the shower. Stephanie shook her head at herself and went back to the living room. "He probably even sleeps in it, for all I know." She chuckled. "Now, that would be weird."

Stephanie started over to curl back up on the sofa to wait for Sportacus when she tripped over something. She looked down and noticed she hadn't pushed her CD's far enough under the table out of the way.

"Thank goodness I only kicked them and didn't step on any." Stephanie picked up all the CD's and started to walk to a shelf to put them up out of the way. She had taken one step toward the shelf when the lights went out. Startled, and scared out of her wits, she screamed a blood curdling scream, and all the CD's in her hands scattered about her back on the floor. The dream last night with the dinosaur, today with Stefan, almost getting hit by the car, came flooding back to her. She stood rooted in place, terrified of what would happen next.

Sportacus had rummaged around in the Mayor's clothes to find a shirt and boxers to tide him over until he felt safe to leave Stephanie and get back to his airship. He went to check on Stephanie and found her asleep on the sofa. Poor kid, what a rotten day. He then headed for the shower. The nice, clean, fresh, spare clothes were waiting on the bathroom counter. Sportacus finished rinsing off. He accidentally flicked soapy water in his eyes and reached past the shower curtain to grab the towl to swipe at them. As his fingers touched the towel, the lights went out and he heard Stephanie scream.

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Why does inspiration strike when I need sleep? Glad it's summer vacation and I can sleep in. I could use a can of Coca-Cola right now. Or maybe a Long Island Tea.


	14. All for This

The moon shining down on Lazy Town was waxing just past one quarter full. It was of little help brightening the dark town. It was even darker inside the houses.

Pixel had come home and immediately began playing a new video game he had picked up at the exhibition that day. When the lights went out, he had one level left to play to win the game. He howled in frustration and went directly to bed figuring there was nothing else to do.

Stingy had finally stopped trembling, but had a horrendous headache. As he changed into his pajamas covered in dollar signs, he noticed that he had ripped his pants. He had gone to bed with his Piggy, and a cool washrag on his forehead. When the lights went out, he was already out like a light.

Ziggy's left eye was still twitching now and then. When he got home, he went to his room and hid in his closet. There, he sat going over the day in every detail. Then, he went over it again. By the time he was playing it through in his mind a third time, tears were streaming down his face. The whites of his blue eyes were red and occasionally he hiccupped. He sat on the floor in the dark staring at nothing, but seeing Stephanie about to get hit, and the look of contempt and controlled rage on Sportacus' face. He had no idea when the lights went out.

Robbie was still congratulating himself as he climbed back inside the hatch to return home. Unfortunately, Robbie had forgotten that when he pulled the switch, the power to his own home would also be cut. Robbie sat on his floor in the blackness clutching his flashlight. He decided it was at least quiet, and lay down. The corners of his mouth inched upward into a smile as he thought about everyone in their houses, in the dark, with nothing to do, but sleep.

With one hand Sportacus fumbled to turn off the water in the shower, with the other he grabbed the towel he had just put his hand on. With no window in the bathroom, the dark was cave-like. As he climbed out of the shower, Sportacus scrubbed at his soapy eyes with the towel, while trying to picture where the door was. He could hear Stephanie still screaming.

"I'm coming, Stephanie!" Sportacus yelled as loud as he could, but he doubted she could hear him. "After the day we've had, and now, this," Sportacus mumbled to himself as he wrapped the towel around his waist. The door was closer than he remembered and ran into it. He stubbed his toe and felt a stab of pain as the doorknob connected with his hipbone. He grabbed the doorknob turning it violently, and threw the door open with such force, the hinges came loose. "Stephanie!" Sportacus yelled, again. The house was quiet. Stephanie had run out of breath to scream.

"Sportacus!" Stephanie gasped out. Her voice was quivery and hoarse. He could hear the fear and tension. He pictured her face as she told him about the dinosaur dreams and as the car was about to hit her. All Sportacus knew at that moment, was he had to get to Stephanie, to save her from her fear.

Her voice had come from the living room. He barrelled down the hall, water droplets flying off his skin and hair, as he tucked the towel tighter around his waist.

Stephanie could hear him coming, though for her it still wasn't fast enough. She knew he was there and he couldn't help but hear her. She tried to calm down, though the darkness made her feel like what it must be like to drown. She stood listening for him.

He reached the doorway and immediately slipped on several of the CD cases Stephanie had dropped when the lights went out. Stephanie heard him slip and realized what had happened.

She reached out toward the sound thinking to grab hold of an arm or hand and pull Sportacus back to safety. But, while trying to regain his balance, Sportacus twisted. Instead, what her left hand encountered was the sculpted curve of a waist. Her right hand landed smack in the center of a well defined pectoral muscle. As her warm hands met his cool skin, he involuntarily shivered. Stephanie's eyes grew wide as she felt his reaction. As she felt his skin under her fingertips turn from smooth to covered in goosebumps, her breath caught, and her belly filled with swarms of butterflies.

Sportacus grabbed at Stephanie to right himself. He flung one arm over her shoulder, while flailing with the other trying to find the wall. Not able to find the wall for support, in desperation Sportacus threw his other arm around Stephanie's tiny waist. At the same time, Stephanie slid her hand from his waist to his back, and the other from his chest to his back, and pulled with all her might. He slammed into her knocking her a step backward. She stepped on a case, lost her footing, and fell back taking him with her. Sportacus neatly pulled Stephanie into him, then flipped horizontally so he would take the brunt of the landing. As they were falling, Stephanie instinctively dug her elbows into Sportacus' waist and rested her arms flat, along his sides, so her arms wouldn't be caught under him. As they landed, they heard what sounded like ice breaking, but it was only the CD's scattered on the floor, shattering.

There they lay on the floor in the dark. With the splintered remains of several CD cases pinching Sportacus' back, they gasped for air, and slowly let their eyes adjust. Sportacus lay flat and stretched his legs out, slowly relaxing his tight and tired muscles. Stephanie's head was resting at the base of Sportacus' breastbone. The pounding of his hearbeat transfixed her as it slowed.

Without realizing it, Stephanie's fingers lightly traced over his ribs. At first, Sportacus didn't realize what her fingers were doing, either. He was concentrating on catching his breath. When the motion _did_ make it through to his conciousness, he lost his breath, again. He released Stephanie from his arms, and she slid to his side. Her night clothes had absorbed the water still on his skin from the shower, and now bunched around her, twisting. Never did her hand break contact with his body. She simply slid her hand over his belly, pushing herself in tight agianst his side. Sportacus threw his hands above his head. Never had his superhero image been tested as it had today, and it was wearing him down.

Stephanie's warm fingers followed the path over the high definition muscles in his torso. One two, three four, five six. The butterflies in her belly were spreading out to the rest of her body, making her nerves tingle. She placed a hand splayed flat against him. Her thumb resting below his belly button, her pinky finger pressed against the edge of the towel. Stephanie could begin to feel his muscles quiver throughout his body. She could feel his thigh muscles flex against her stomach. She slid her arm across to his other side counted down the muscles there. One, two. Long and lean. She could feel muscles ripple under her arm.

"Stephanie." Sportacus whispered her name, gave a strangled sigh, and bolted to his feet. They could now see outlines in the dark. What had taken only a few moments, seemed like a lifetime. Though neither one could admit to it, they both felt it was not long enough. Stephanie got to her feet as well. The stood staring at each other. Stephanie, gripping her arms across her chest, feeling the goosebumps on her own body emerge, and Sportacus clutching his towel, bunching it into a knot in front of him. Stephanie made the absurd observation while standing there, that Sportacus' mustache was still pencil point perfect.

In the sudden stillness, Stephanie's stomach growled, breaking the spell they seemed to have been under. She rolled her eyes and dropped her head in embarrassment. Sportacus threw back his head and laughed.

"What do you want for supper, Stephanie?" Sportacus asked through his laughter.

"I fixed a plate of fruit and cheese and crackers earlier, while you were in the shower." Stephanie was glad for the darkness, as she could feel her face grow hot from memories of the last few moments, and thinking about Sportacus in the shower.

"I am going to go try to find the clothes I left in the bathroom. Do you know where a flashlight might be?"

"I'll look for one. I'll put supper on the table, too."

"Thank you, Stephanie. Be right back." Sportacus carefully felt his way across to the hallway and then down to the bathroom. It took a few minutes to locate the T-shirt and boxers, but he was finally clothed.

He rested his forehead on the doorframe of the bathroom for a moment. What had just happened? He had always liked Stephanie. She was a sweet little girl. But the way she had just touched him ... he hated to admit it, but it scared him. He didn't want to scare her, but for those few moments when her fingers were trailing on his skin, she was not a little girl. She was very much a big girl.

"I can handle this. I'm supposed to be a superhero. Superhero's have super self control. She obviously trusts me, and I won't let her down." He lifted his eyes toward the ceiling. "I just hope we don't trip on anything else." He headed back down the hall to the kitchen, where it was almost as dark as the bathroom.

"Ow," he bumped into the corner of the counter. Spinning around and backing up, he stepped on Stephanie.

"Ow," Stephanie protested. "Here." Stephanie held a square up in front of his face. "I coudn't find the flashlight, but I found some candles."

Sportacus took the square from Stephanie. "Matches, got it. Nothing beats candlelight for a supper date." He lit the candles outlined on the table. Sportacus blew out the match and gave Stephanie the sweetest smile he could. She looked across at him and smiled back.

They sat at the kitchen table, eating a candlelit picnic supper, talking like the best of friends they were, and not saying anything about what had occurred over the last two days. They grew quiet as they finished eating, not wanting the moment of peace to end.

Sportacus propped his head up on his fist and sat staring off into space. Stephanie popped the last grape into her mouth, then got up to clear the table. On the way back, she stopped behind Sportacus' chair.

"I wondered what color your hair was," Stephanie said. She ran her fingers through Sportacus' dark, blond hair. It was trimmed short and his bangs had dried spikey. Then she leaned in close to his face. "And you have Icelandic blue eyes."

"And you have eyes the color of dark chocolate." Stephanie didn't look very pleased with his description. "What's wrong?"

"Dark chocolate is bitter," Stephanie replied.

"Not you. Your dark chocolate eyes are very sweet." Sportacus pursed his lips in consideration.

Without warning, Stephanie grasped Sportacus around the neck, leaned in, and pressed her lips to his. His own blue eyes shot open and he tried to pull back, but Stephanie kept a surprisingly strong hold on him. Sportacus was getting light headed and his arms had inched up slowly through the air. They hovered around Stephanie's waist, then reached around and pulled her close. Stephanie finally pulled away from Sportacus' lips. His mustache tickled her ever so slightly. Nose to nose, she had never seen eyes so blue. She imagined that was what the Arctic sky looked like on a clear day. She stepped back and he released her immediately, then she moved to her own side of the table. She leaned on the table looking at him. He still looked stunned.

Stephanie gave a shrug of her shoulders and looked at Sportacus with an expression of disappointment. "Darn."

"What?"

"I told you dark chocolate isn't sweet."

Sportacus was confused. He didn't get it.

Stephanie grinned at him. "Well, you haven't melted down yet, so I must not be sweet."

Sportacus looked at her in disbelief. He wasn't sure if she was joking. And if she was joking, which joke was it? The kiss itself, or seeing if he would have a meltdown? Sportacus sat very still and tried to make his breathing and facial expression return to normal. A meltdown. He certainly did not want to let Stephanie know she wasn't far off from accomplishing that! And he had been worried about tripping on something else?

Stephanie tried to cover a huge yawn, but it didn't work. She glanced at Sportacus to see if he noticed. He had. With clarity, he realized she was scared and didn't want to go to bed. He was concerned about what else she might do to avoid sleep.

He shook his head as he considered the girl before him. She was going to be a gorgeous lady some day, both inside and out. She would end up breaking a lot of hearts. He felt a little sorry for the boys. He couldn't decide if it was a good or bad thing that she had decided to experiment on him. He frowned at the next thought. Just like the boys, today. All kids grow up and there is no way to stop them. He just hoped he could help them grow up in one piece.

She trusted him to do the right thing. He had to trust her to do the same. If they made mistakes, they had to trust each other to forgive, forget, and move on to tomorrow. And trust that tomorrow will be better than today. Trust was all Stephanie and Sportacus really had.

Stephanie had laid her head on the table and her eyes were flickering shut. Sportacus got the sofa ready for the night. He locked the doors and blew out the candles on the table. He eased Stephanie back off the table against his shoulder and picked her up. He carefully carried her to the sofa and stretched her out. He laid down beside her and she snuggled close to him, tucking her head under his chin, and wrapping both her arms around his massive upper arm.

Sportacus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This was NOT the weekend he thought he was going to have. Stingy would have to come get his car tomorrow. He was going to have to talk to Stingy and Ziggy about today. He wanted to meet the new kid, Stefan. The Mayor and Bessie would be back tomorrow. He would go back to airship. His quiet, peaceful, airship. Everything would be back to normal.

Stephanie. He hoped people could see their relationship for what it was. Two friends who cared greatly for each other on so many levels. Trusting each other, in a world where there doesn't seem to be room for trust. Yes, he was much older than she. But she would someday be older, too. He considered for a moment, the two of them old, and grey haired, leaning on their canes dancing to the Bing Bang song. Sportacus chuckled silently.

He turned to look at Stephanie, asleep. She must have been having a good dream tonight, by the look of that smile. He pulled his arm away from her, then wrapped her in his arms, gently running a hand up and down her back. He could feel her warm breath tickle the base of his neck, and soon her hand was resting in the V of his T-shirt. Sportacus leaned over and lightly grazed her lips with a gentle kiss. He heard her mumble something about, _flower petals_. She snuggled deeper into his chest and sighed contentedly.

In her dream, _Stephanie felt the flower petal linger lightly on her lips. Then she was covered, floating in a river of flower petals, flowing through the door, into Sportacus' airship._

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Chiba Apey and MeowMix2 - "Fjandinn" is an icelandic curse word. I googled "Icelandic Translations" and used To everyone who wished a Long Island Tea for me, I humbly thank you! Remember the picture on my icebox? Talk about inspiration!


	15. One Last Time

In her sleep, Stephanie wrinkled her nose. She could smell something sweet. The scent permeated her unconsciousness. It smelled good. She took a long sniff and turned her head towards it. She heard a low chuckle and felt her nose growing warm and the frangrance strong. She felt liquid drop onto her lips. Then a soft pressure and gentle tug on her lower lip. She opened her eyes to find herself looking into Sportacus'. He was licking his lips and smiling playfully.

"Mmmm, can't resist chocolate covered strawberry lips."

Stephanie looked at Sportacus, surprised. She licked her lips, but Sportacus hadn't left any chocolate. It took her a minute to realize what he had just said. When it sank in, she panicked.

"Sportacus, what have you done? Chocolate? You'll have a meltdown!" Stephanie sat up on the sofa and grabbed for his free hand.

"Careful. You need to drink your hot cocoa, not spill it." Sportacus moved the cup away from himself and Stephanie. "No need to worry about a meltdown, it's sugar free." He winked at Stephanie. "I enjoy a hot cocoa from time to time."

Stephanie put a hand over her heart and said, "Thank goodness, you scared me! Don't do that!"

Sportacus handed the mug of rapidly cooling cocoa to Stephanie. She took it and drained it in a few gulps. As she handed the mug back to Sportacus, she noticed he was back in his superhero suit. The sun, which was three quarters of the way up, was beginning to shine directly through the front window. She looked over Spotacus' shoulder and could see the light on in the kitchen.

"Hey! The lights are back on!" Stephanie exclaimed as she jumped off the sofa and skipped to the kitchen.

"Yes, someone must have thrown the switch at the power station last night. I went to check it out earlier this morning. Hopefully, I turned it back on before many people got up." With Stephanie off the sofa, Sportacus began putting the living room back to rights.

"And your suit?" Stephanie asked.

"Oh, I took care of it." Stephanie was taken aback at the gentle snub. Apparently, that was one secret he was going to keep to himself. She smiled though, because she knew that if he didn't tell her, he wasn't likely to tell anyone else, either.

She leaned against the counter and watched him clean up the living room. Looking at him in his suit made her think of him, out of the suit. Which naturally led to thoughts about last night.

Her fingers twitched. The longer she looked at him the more she felt as if her heart were running a race. She felt the palms of her hands begin to sweat, and her breathing became shallow. She tightly grasped the edge of the counter to stop herself from running to him. She wanted to feel his lips again, and lay her hands on each of his muscles. Playing back the moment she woke up this morning in her mind, she absentmindedly licked her lips.

When he was done, Sportacus glanced around and found Stephanie staring at him. She was tracing her tongue over her lower lip, standing on one foot. The other foot was hooked behind the calf of the leg she was standing on. She looked ... nervous...scared?

"Stephanie?" Sportacus questioned her while turning toward her. He stood still, head tilted to one side, looking concerned. After a moment, and Stephanie still hadn't said anything, he took a step forward. He could see her grasping the counter, her knuckles white.

"I'm scared," Stephanie whispered.

Sportacus paused as she answered him. He took another step near her, then paused again, as she took a step back, putting the counter between them.

Sportacus' jaw dropped. He finally closed it as a wave of sadness swept over him. "Are you scared of ... me?" Sportacus asked quietly. He was sure of the answer. The hot cocoa stunt this morning was over the line, out of bounds, stupid. Now, he had scared her, broken her trust, disappointed her, disappointed himself. Some superhero he was. Emotionally, he turned out to be a man.

"I'm scared ... of _me_." Stephanie whimpered. "I'm scared of what I want, what I might do." Her voice rose as she spoke. "I don't want you to be angry with me or stop being my friend if I do something stupid." Stephanie's voice was strong and controlled by the time she finished. "You said growing up is hard. Does it have to hurt so much?"

Sportacus hadn't moved. His heart went out to the girl before him. On the one hand, he was relieved she wasn't afraid of _him_. On the other, the uncertainty of right or wrong, in one's own actions as an adult was unsettling enough. As someone on the road to being an adult, it truly must be terrifying. Sportacus braced himself for the answer to the question he was about to ask.

"What do you want, Stephanie? Right now, this minute," Sportacus asked. He could see her debating with herself. Fighting whether to say anything or not. "I won't be angry with you. But, I can't help you if I don't know what it is, you need help with."

"Will you hold me, Sportacus? Just for a little bit? Just a little longer?" Stephanie hesitatingly asked.

Sportacus calmly walked over to Stephanie behind the kitchen counter. She looked unsure what he might do. He held a hand out to her, and after a moment she took it. He walked her over to the sofa, sat down, and pulled her onto his lap. He rested his chin on her head, stroking her silky hair, while she laid her head against his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him, as far as she could reach. His other hand rested on her thigh, holding her close to him.

The little girl and young woman did battle inside her. For this particlular moment, the little girl won. She just wanted to be held by someone she cared about, and knew cared about her.

"Your Uncle and Bessie will be home today." Sportacus tried to sound cheerful.

"This is it, isn't it." Stephanie made the question sound like a statement.

"What is what?"

"Everything goes back to the way it was."

"Was it so bad?"

"I don't think I can forget you ... last night, Sportacus."

"Do you ... do you ... want me to ... leave? Would that make it easier?"

Stephanie leaned back and looked him in the eye. She spoke slowly and clearly.

"NO!"

"I'm glad, Stephanie, because I don't know if I could leave." Sportacus breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't know how we are going to handle this, Stephanie, but we will have to make it work."

"Can we still dance together? Can I still give you a hug? Maybe, I could hold your hand, just now and then?" Stephanie looked at him pleadingly.

Sportacus didn't trust himself to speak. Trust. She still trusted him. She didn't trust herself, and he wasn't too sure if he trusted himself. But they trusted in each other. He smiled and quickly nodded his head, yes.

Stephanie put her head back down. He brushed the hair from her eyes and slowly ran the tips of his fingers up and down her smooth skin, from shoulder to wrist, and back.

"Who else could I dance the Bing Bang song with?" Sportacus asked her. He could feel her smile, and that made him smile.

They sat in silence while the sun continued its climb skyward. It may have been morning, but they both knew in their hearts, this time together, was about to end.

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Not where I expected to end up, as I started this chapter. Nor am I generally known as a warm and fuzzy kind of person. Who knew? Chiba Apey - if you sigh I take that as a high compliment. DreamingofSportacus - the emerging hormones of fifth graders tend to make their teachers a little crazy, hence the need of Long Island Tea, which can also lead to being a hoot!


	16. My Apologies

A knock on the door sounded once, twice. Sportacus' hands stilled. Stephanie stretched up and planted a kiss on the tip of his chin, then slid off his lap. She gave Sportacus a brave smile and turned her back to him. She walked down the hall to her room. When she quietly closed the door, he heard the finality of the click.

Sportacus let his guard down. He had never felt so close to tears. For many seconds he bowed his head and scrunched his eyes closed, tight. He took a ragged breath and raised his head. He stared at the hallway Stephanie had walked down. There was another knock on the door, this time louder.

Sportacus mumbled, "Save your memories, Stephanie. Yes, _this_, is it." Sportacus took several deep breaths then bounded from the sofa to the door.

When he opened the door, Stingy was standing there with a cautious expression on his face.

Sportacus took his superhero stance, feet apart, hands on hips. But, he smiled at Stingy and gave him a, "Good morning, Stingy."

"Good morning, Sportacus." Stingy smiled warily.

"Have you come for your car?"

"Yes, Sportacus."

"Do you understand how serious the situation last night was?"

"Yes, Sportacus."

"Do you know where Ziggy is?"

"Yes, Sporta...I mean, no, Sportacus."

"Can you at least explain what happened yesterday? You boys just didn't seem like yourselves."

"Are you sure you want to know? It's not pretty."

"You throwing up your guts, Stingy, is not pretty. Stephanie smashed flat would not be pretty. Help me understand how you and Ziggy got in the situation you did, last night."

Stingy sat down on the sidewalk and Sportacus joined him. Stingy was concise and told his story without emotion. He began with meeting Ziggy and Stephanie for basketball. He told about meeting Stefan, and all the pop he and Ziggy drank. When he got to the part where Stefan insulted them and Ziggy stole his car, Stingy sniffled a little and blinked away some stray tears.

About halfway through Stingy's recitation, Stephanie came outside. She had gotten dressed and looked ready for the day. She set down a tray of toast accompanied by several different fruit spreads, glasses, and a jug of orange juice. When Stingy began sniffling, Stephanie put her arm around Stingy's shoulders in comfort.

"I'm sorry, Stephanie, for walking away from our basketball game yesterday. And for losing my temper last night. If I hadn't been so angry with Stefan, I may have known what was going on with Stingy, and been able to stop him. Please, Stephanie, will you forgive me?" Stingy begged. He didn't sound like he expected to be forgiven, but at least he asked.

"Of course I forgive you, Stingy." Stephanie gave his shoulders a squeeze. "Maybe I shouldn't have left you with Stefan. Maybe I could have done something. But, it's all maybe. I could have easily ended up in bad shape like you, or even worse!" Stephanie gave Stingy her brightest smile. Then her face clouded over. "I sure would like to get my hands on that Stefan, though. I _know_ I've seen those eyes somewhere before." Stephanie grabbed up a piece of toast and bit into it viciously. Sportacus and Stingy joined her for breakfast.

When they were done, Stingy drove carefully off in his car. He was back to his old self. He waved back as he drove. He had decided to just stay at home for the rest of the day. He had a book on how to be a financial wizard he had been wanting to read.

"See you tomorrow, Stephanie, Sportacus! Bye!"

"By, Stingy!" Stephanie and Sportacus yelled as he drove away.

Stephanie picked up the tray with the remains of breakfast and Sportacus held the door open for her. They both put the kitchen to rights, neither saying much. When the kitchen was finished they moved onto the rest of the house. Finally, they could find nothing more to do. The house was ready for Uncle Milford and Bessie, whenever they got home.

"Sportacus," Stephanie said trying to get his attention.

"Hmm?"

"I'm worried about Ziggy. Will you come with me to see him?" Stephanie asked.

"I'm worried about Ziggy, too. Yes, Stephanie, let's go find him."

They left the house, seemingly almost back to normal. Sportacus leaping, bounding, jumping, and flipping, and Stephanie running to keep up. Every couple of feet, she would do a cartwheel, and she jumped over anything she could. When they arrived at Ziggy's house, Stephanie was only slightly more winded than Sportacus. They both paused to catch a breath. Then they went in.

They opened the door to his bedroom and peeked in.

"I don't see him, Sportacus." Stephanie's head was about a foot below Sportacus'. Sportacus opened the door wider and stepped into the room. They were trying to be quiet, but every step they took, candy wrappers crunched under their feet. They were just about to leave when Stephanie saw the edge of Ziggy's cape sticking out from under the closet door.

Stephanie grabbed Sportacus' hand as he was turning to leave. He looked at their clasped hands, then at Stephanie, then at the closet door she was looking at.. She motioned to it. Sportacus saw the cape, too. They walked over to the closet door. Stephanie bit her lower lip, not sure what to do. Sportacus decided to address the situation head on. He opened the door wide, letting it swing back and hit the wall with a, thump.

Ziggy lay curled up on the floor, eyes puffy from crying, and trails left from tears running down his dirty face. Sportacus gently shook him awake.

"Ziggy. Ziggy, wake up." Ziggy batted at Sportacus' hand and mumbled incoherently.

"Come on, Ziggy. We need your help, Stephanie and I." Ziggy's eyes rolled behind his closed lids, then he bolted upright yelling, "STEPHANIE!" He stared ahead of him in fear.

Sportacus grabbed Ziggy by the shoulders and spoke to him gently.

"It's alright, Ziggy, Stephanie is here. See? She's okay. Take a few deep breaths and calm down." Ziggy looked at Stephanie, at Sportacus, then back to Stephanie. He reached out and touched her shoulder. She smiled at him reassuringly.

"I'm fine, Ziggy. It was all an accident, right? A few bumps and bruises, we can all handle that, can't we? Ziggy?" Stephanie was concerned about how awful Ziggy looked.

He suddenly covered his face with his hands and burst into tears. Sportacus put a hand on one shoulder and Stephanie put a hand on the other. He looked at her and she at him. They were both very concerned about their friend.

"Ziggy, I want to apologize to you," Sportacus said.

"Me! You want to apologize to me? For what?" Ziggy slowly turned off his tears. He looked at Sportacus in disbelief. "After everything I did, YOU want to apologize?" Ziggy shook his head sadly.

"Yes, Ziggy. I let my temper get the better of me. You started to explain and I wouldn't listen. That was wrong."

"But, I almost hurt Stephanie!"

"You _didn't _hurt Stephanie, though." Sportacus patted his shoulder.

Stephanie spoke up. "Even if I did get hurt, it wouldn't have been all your fault, Ziggy."

"How do you figure that?"

"Well, what kind of idiot am I for stopping and standing in the middle of a street with car barrelling towards me? I had time to move and I didn't." She rolled her eyes and shook her head at her own stupidity.

"So, Ziggy, what do you say, do you want to play some ball this afternoon?" Stephanie asked.

"Sportacus, Stephanie, I'm sorry. I know that's not enough to make up for everything. But, I hope it's a start."

Sportacus patted Ziggy on the back. "Of course it is!"

Stephanie hugged Ziggy. "Are we still friends, Ziggy?"

Ziggy looked at both of them uncertainly, then smiled. "Yeah!"

They all stood up and walked over to the door. Sportacus started to leave the room then stopped and turned to Ziggy.

"Ziggy, I want to know about what you did yesterday. Will you tell me?"

So, Ziggy told Sportacus and Stephanie an almost identical version of Stingy's tale. All three of them frowned when Ziggy got to the part about Stefan.

"What we need to do is find this Stefan. I want to talk to him." Sportacus was flexing his hands into fists again.

"I'll help you look, " Ziggy offered.

"Thank you, Ziggy. Should we meet after lunch and start our search?"

"That sounds good. I am getting hungry," Ziggy replied enthusiastically.

Sportacus shook his head with a lopsided grin. "This has sure been one wild weekend."

Stephanie looked at him, eyes twinkling with mischief, and replied in a husky voice, "Maybe not wild enough." Ziggy looked in amazement at Stephanie. How could she say that? Then he looked at Sportacus. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Ziggy looked back at Stephanie, but she was already heading out the door. He and Sportacus followed her. They could hear snatches of the song she was singing as she skipped down the hall.

"... good stuff ...good stuff ... the best things in life are free..."

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Okay guys, winding down. MeowMix2 - hope you had a great vacation, don't worry I will put The End when I get there, don't panic. Next chapter could take awhile. I've reached the 15 chapter limit here, but don't know how to convert the chapters to stories to put in more chapters. (Does that make sense?) If I can't figure it out, look for Trust Me 2


	17. Get Him

Sunday after lunch, Ziggy, Stephanie, and Sportacus, spread out to search for the new kid, Stefan. They had no luck. No one seemed to know anything about a new kid, or a big kid. They all arrived at the treehouse disappointed, but Stephanie and Ziggy were also slightly relieved. They weren't sure what would happen if they _had _found Stefan.

"I'm tired of even thinking about Stefan," Ziggy exclaimed.

"When I think about him, I want to hit something, hard," Stephanie added. She made a fist and pounded it into her other hand.

Stephanie and Ziggy sat on the ground beneath the treehouse and pouted. Sportacus decided they needed to take a break and lighten up. He had an idea.

"Stephanie, run home and get some music. Getting angry is a waste of energy. Let's take a break, and dance!"

"Me too?" Ziggy asked.

"Of course!" exclaimed Sportacus as Stephanie jumped to her feet and dashed home.

She was back in record time. Stephanie turned on the music and all three of them went a little wild. They were shaking, flapping, stomping, rolling, whooping, and hollering. They leapt, bounded, jumped, flipped, and spun. The kids had totally forgotten about Stefan, and were having a great time. Sportacus was having fun too, but, he hadn't forgotten. Stefan was still in the back of Sportacus' mind.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Robbie Rotten woke to the glare of lights. Someone must have turned the power back on. He had slept better than he had in days. He checked his clock.

"Oh, my, over 15 hours of uninterrupted sleep! How blissful." Robbie yawned hugely and smiled to himself, then frowned. "Something woke me up though. I'm sure I could have slept for 24 hours." Then he heard it. Pounding on the ground. He growled and snarled, stood up, and marched over to his periscope. Looking through it, he saw Sportacus, Stephanie, and Ziggy. "What do they think they are doing?" Then Robbie saw the boombox. "They call that dancing?" Robbie asked himself, tsk tsking, while watching the gyrations above.

He watched Sportacus help Ziggy do a flip, then Ziggy air-jammed on an imaginary guitar. He was jamming all around the treehouse, jumping on the ladder, then jumping off like it was a stage, and he was a rocking superstar.

Sportacus came up behind Stephanie and flipped her onto his shoulder in a sitting position. She slowly leaned back, hooking her knees on his shoulder, and began to slide down his back, arms stretched over her head. He leaned foreward a little as she straightened her legs, while letting go of his shoulder.

He reached behind his back, suddenly worried that Stephanie might fall if she hadn't put her hands down yet. Sportacus' hands found Stephanie. He gulped as his hands touched skin, and then ... the superhero blushed. He was pretty sure those weren't giant goosebumps that slipped through his fingers. As Stephanie landed hands first, she kicked her feet down so she was laying flat on the ground. Her head was even with the heels of Sportacus' boots. Sportacus looked down and saw her fingers stretched up between his knees. He bent over, grabbed her hands and swung her up between his legs, to finish the move by setting her on her feet. She was laughing and her eyes were bright. She continued to jam like nothing had happened at all. Sportacus sat against the tree watching the kids. They were for the moment, being kids. Sportacus was relieved. Robbie was not.

Robbie had watched what he thought of as, the whole sordid display. When Stephanie had flipped over Sportacus' shoulder, and her dress flipped too, Robbie's eyes grew wide and he gurgled a little. He spun away from the periscope pressing his hands against his eyes and taking deep breaths. Finally his breathing slowed down. He took his hands from his eyes hesitatingly, then quickly shoved them back as he could still see the image of Stephanie in his mind.

"Ewwww," he moaned while shuddering.

Robbie shook his head making his jowels flap trying to displace the image. He cautiously walked back to the periscope and looked into it. Sportacus was sitting against the tree and the other two were "dancing".

"This has got to stop!" He watched as Stephanie hurtled toward Sportacus, then came to a screaching halt. She plopped herself in his cross legged lap. He propped his knees up and she slid onto the grass between them, then scooted back to lean against him. "Ahhh! Gross!" Robbie stomped away from the periscope making retching sounds. He stopped in the middle of the floor as his eyes rolled looking up. Then he shook from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. "I don't know which is worse ... him, or her. Yuck on both!" Robbie headed up and out.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Stephanie knew she was pushing her luck flirting with Sportacus. But once she felt his hands slide across her skin, she didn't much care what he thought anymore. The woman began battling with the girl again, but it looked like the woman might win this time. Stephanie was scared, but also excited. She decided those little butterfly tingles felt reeeal good.

Ziggy had finally collapsed at Sportacus' feet. "Whoa that was fun! Thanks Stephanie, Sportacus!" They both just smiled at Ziggy, while Sportacus wrapped his arms low around Stephanie's waist, and she rested her arms on his.

"Why do you people always wait until I come up here, to finally setttle down? Hmmm? Why don't you just settle down without doing anything noisy or bouncy? Would it kill you to consider the feelings of others? Robbie appeared in front of Sportacus and the kids griping and panting loudly. "I finally get a good nights rest, only to have it shortened because you decide you have to dance, if that's what you call it, _outside_!"

"We're sorry, Robbie. But since you're up here anyway now, why don't you join us?" Stephanie asked.

Robbie had been avoiding looking at Stephanie. Now he did, and immediatly turned his head away and put his nose in the air. "I don't think so."

"Come on, Robbie. It's fun!" Sportacus added his voice to Stephanie's.

"No. I don't want girlie germs. If _you_ want to put your fingers on a girl, fine. Not me." Robbie spoke looking at Sportacus. Sportacus blushed again at Robbie's comment. Robbie couldn't have known what had happened during the dance. At least he certainly hoped not.

Robbie took another step toward the three of them, then tripped over Stephanie's boombox. Robbie landed at Sportacus' feet. Stephanie and Ziggy both leaned over to see if Robbie was okay. Robbie raised his head and stared straight into Stephanie's eyes.

Stephanie stared back for a moment, a frown slowly creasing her forehead. Stephanie wondered again for the hundredth time, what color were his eyes? With that thought, Stephanie slammed herself back against Sportacus' chest. Ziggy had leaned over to look Robbie in the face, looked into his eyes, and scrambled backward doing something similar to a crab walk.

Sportacus grabbed Stephanie to turn her around to face him. She was shaking and trying to speak, but nothing was coming out. He looked at Ziggy who was having almost the same reaction, only he was yelling. "You! It was you! How could you!"

Robbie _knew _they knew. They had somehow identified him as Stefan. He jumped to his feet and took off running in the opposite direction. He was shaking his hands along the way to get the grass and dirt and anything else off. As he first rounded one corner and then another, he shook each leg swiping at them with his hand. "Drat, I just had this suit cleaned."

Ziggy finally turned to Sportacus. "It was him, Robbie Rotten! He's Stefan!"

Sportacus listened to Ziggy then looked to Stephanie. She looked up at him, hanging on as if for dear life. "Robbie's eyes. I never know what color they are. I thought the same thing about Stefan's. They're the same person." Sportacus jumped to his feet, set Stephanie against the tree, and took off after Robbie.

Ziggy crawled over to sit next to Stephanie. And wait.

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One or two more chapters to go. I WILL finish this story this week. Thanks again to everyone who has hung in there with me!


	18. Got Him

Robbie was quickly getting winded attempting to outrun Sportacus. Well, Robbie was jogging along, while Sportacus was flipping and bounding over objects in his way. He was gaining on Robbie rapidly.

"Robbie! Come back here! I want to talk to you!" Sportacus paused long enough to yell.

Robbie had just turned the corner of a brick wall. He stopped and glanced back to see Sportacus begin flipping down the street again. Robbie took off, vowing not to stop for anything. As he rounded the next corner, Robbie saw a bicycle in a yard. He dived for it ending up with grass and leaves in his mouth and grass stains on his suit.

Robbie grabbed the bicyle, jumped on, and began pedaling with fury, spitting grass out as he went. He could have gone faster, but he was afraid of falling off. He had climbed enough trees in the past, that he now had a phobia against heights. He considered the bicycle, a height. He glanced back and saw Sportacus gaining on him. Robbie was scared what Sportacus would do when he caught him. _If _he caught him, Robbie amended, _if ... if... if_.

"Robbie, this isn't a good idea! Stop!"

"No, I won't!"

Sportacus wasn't about to let Robbie get away. Not this time. Too many people had been hurt. Robbie had a lot for which to answer.

Robbie didn't realize he had ridden in a circle. He was coming back around to the treehouse. He was getting tired. Maybe he should just stop and give up. Where did that thought come from? Then Robbie realized where.

"Robbie, why don't you just stop and give up!" Sportacus shouted.

"Never!" Robbie turned his head yelling back, and put on an extra burst of speed. "Sportacus will never catch me," mumbled Robbie gasping for air, "at least until I die from exhaustion."

Robbie swiveled his eyes to the front. His jaw dropped and his eyes looked to pop out of their sockets. Robbie was riding straight towards a barrier of some kind.

A few seconds after Sportacus had taken off to get Robbie, Stephanie and Ziggy climbed up inside the treehouse.

"The window, Ziggy! We'll be able to see them! Open the window!"

"I can't, it's stuck!"

Together they leaned on the window cover, then beat on it. They were huffing and puffing from the exertion. But, the window cover wouldn't open. Finally, Stephanie found an old mallet left from the construction of the treehouse, and in frustration, beat on the window cover. She knocked the cover completely off the treehouse. Ziggy looked at Stephanie in awe.

"Look!" Stephanie exclaimed, pointing to where Robbie was. They could see flashes of blue catching up to Robbie. They heard Robbie holler, "Never!" Then Ziggy had an idea.

"Come on, Stephanie! We're going to help Sportacus catch Robbie!" He quickly climbed down the ladder. Stephanie looked out the window once more and could see Robbie getting closer. She hurried down after Ziggy.

Together, Ziggy and Stephanie quickly stacked some spare lumber lying around not to far from the treehouse. At the last second, Stephanie and Ziggy added what used to be the cover for the window. Grunting and groaning, they tossed it on top of the lumber pile. Then, they stepped off to the side as Robbie came bicycling towards them. Ziggy pushed Stephanie even further back, and stood slightly in front of her, his jaw set in determination, just in case. He wasn't going to let anything hit Stephanie.

Robbie, in a panic, was desperately trying to find the brakes on the stolen, er, borrowed, bicycle. He couldn't find any. In confusion, he peddled even faster. He was going to hit it. He scrunched his eyes shut and screamed like a girl.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The window cover had been teetering on top of the pile and Ziggy and Stephanie had been holding their breath that it would stay up. It didn't. The cover slid down jamming itself into the ground, tilted at a severe angle.

Which is why, when he hit the cover, both Robbie and the bicycle went flying through the air. Sportacus, Ziggy, and Stephanie ran to the barrier watching Robbie and the bike in flight. The bicycle hit the side of the treehouse, then rained down in pieces, while Robbie went through the window. First, the thud of the bike was heard, then, the thud of Robbie landing. Robbie stopped screaming when he hit the floor. He had the breath knocked out of him.

Those left on the ground looked at each other with wide eyes and gaping mouths. Spotacus leapt to the ladder and climbed up inside. Ziggy and Stephanie took turns jumping up and down all over the place, trying to see through the window to find out what was happening.

"It's terribly quiet up there," Stephanie whispered to Ziggy.

Ziggy nodded. "Do you think Robbie is dead?"

"No!" Stephanie looked exasperated with Ziggy for a moment. Then she thought about it in the silence. "I hope not."

Ziggy looked at her like she was crazy. "What about what he did to us this weekend?"

"Well...we're all right. We're all friends and take care of each other. Usually." She shrugged her shoulders. "Robbie doesn't have any friends." She continued to look at the window.

"_He doesn't want friends!_ Look how he treated us when he could have been our friend as Stefan."

"Doesn't matter. Wishing he would go away, or even die, is like sinking to his level, it's just ignorance. Robbie doesn't know what he's missing by not having friends. We do." Stephanie looked at Ziggy trying to explain. "He really is just a big kid. We have to try to show him how much fun he's missing."

Ziggy looked back at Stephanie doubtfully, but said, "Maybe."

Both kids looked up as Sportacus climbed down the ladder.

"Is he alright?" Stephanie asked.

"Yes, he will be fine." Sportacus hit the ground and glanced back up inside the treehouse. "But, he is being stubborn. Instead of coming down to apologize he has chosen to sit up there and pout." Sportacus shook his head sadly. Then to the kid's amazement, Sportacus pulled down the ladder and carried it off a few feet away.

"Sportacus, what are you doing?" Ziggy asked. "Are you turning the treehouse into a jail?"

"No, Ziggy. Well, maybe a kind of jail, just for a little bit." Sportacus stood with his hands on his hips, chuckling.

"I thought, we should have a party to welcome home the Mayor and Bessie. We can have sportscandy, and balloons, and music ..."

"And dancing?" Stephanie interjected.

"And dancing. What do you think, guys? A party right here?" Sportacus asked them. They were nodding and beginning to bounce on their toes. Then, with a glance up at the treehouse and a twinkle in his eye, Sportacus added, "Don't you think Robbie would like to be at the party?"

They looked at each other, grinning as they caught his meaning. They both yelled at the top of their voices, "YEAH!" They took off running home, to spread the word about the party and prepare for it.

Robbie sat on the floor of the treehouse, sulking. At the kid's yell, he put his head in his hands and shook it sadly. Sportacus told him what would happen. It was going to be a loong evening.

"What about Robbie? Won't he try to escape?" Ziggy asked Sportacus as they were about to go their separate ways.

"No, I don't think so." He leaned toward Ziggy and whispered, "He doesn't like heights, remember?"

Ziggy laughed, then left Sportacus and Stephanie. They continued on thier way to Uncle Milford's house, to get ready for the party.

"Thank you, Sportacus, for catching Robbie, and saving Ziggy, and Stingy, and me. For making everything better," Stephanie blurted out.

"You are welcome. But, Stephanie, you and Ziggy are really the one's who caught Robbie. Thank _you_."

The thought of Robbie sitting up in the treehouse having to listen to the party, made Stephanie giggle. She looked at Sportacus. He looked at her, and just _knew _what she was thinking. He began chuckling. Simultaneously, they reached for each other's hand and grabbed hold, then broke into a run.

Down the street they ran, into the late afternoon sun, hands clasped, planning, laughing, and happy.

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No, not the end. One more to go. MeowMix2 - glad you enjoyed 17 soooooo much. I was hoping someone would be amused. I think of Robbie Rotten emotionally as an 11 or 12 year old boy. Gee, I wouldn't know _anything_ about them.harhar


	19. Good Night

Stephanie and Sportacus had spread the word around town about the party. There were many hands helping to pull it off.

The spare lumber used to build the barricade earlier had been set up for tables. Lawn chairs were brought out. Coolers were filled with cold drinks and food was being assembled on the impromptu tables. Sportacus finished setting up the colorful tiki torches, in case the party went past dark. The kids had found time to bake a welcome back cake for the Mayor and Bessie. Stingy was scolding Ziggy for swiping his finger through the icing, while Pixel programmed and set up the sound system for the music.

Everyone had been hard at work. Robbie was almost in physical pain having to listen to the preparations from his perch in the treehouse.

Sportacus had discovered when the train with the Mayor and Bessie on it, would be getting in. He planned to meet them and escort them to their party. There was still plenty of time before he needed to get them. Sportacus looked around in appreciation at everything that had been done. They were ready.

His gaze landed on Stephanie, who looked like she could do with a nap. She had sat down on a short piece of forgotten lumber, left off to the side, out of the way. He watched as her head nodded forward, then jerked back up. He raised his eyebrows and smiled as he watched.

When Stephanie let loose a yawn that looked to split her head, Sportacus moved to stand under his airship. He had moved his airship closer to the treehouse, just in case they had forgotten anything for the party. He called up, "Pillow!" His pillow dropped down into his hands and he walked over to stand next to Stephanie.

He gently pushed Stephanie onto her side, and placed his pillow beneath her head.

"But, my Uncle ... and Bessie...I want to go to the party," she protested.

"I promise you won't miss any of it. It will still be awhile before they get home. Take a nap. You've worked hard, Stephanie."

"You promise?" Stephanie asked.

"You don't trust me?" Sportacus asked sounding hurt.

Stephanie replied with a smile, eyes already closed, "Of course I do. No one I trust more..." Stephanie mumbled drifting off into silence. Sportacus gave her hand a squeeze, then turned to double check everything before he left.

Robbie was peeking out the treehouse window. "How can she sleep, with all this racket?" He was both astounded and impressed.

When Sportacus returned with the Mayor and Bessie, the party had already started. People were dancing, snacking on sportscandy, and helping themselves to the contents of the coolers.

Stingy had even managed to keep Ziggy away from anymore of the cake. As they arrived, people began shouting, "Welcome home!" The Mayor and Bessie were touched, and replied back to the well wishes, graciously.

Sportacus was walking over to wake up Stephanie when he saw her sit up and rub her eyes. He slowed to a stop and stood looking at her. She looked up and saw him watching her. She had a feeling of deja' vu. She realized that must have been the expression on her face this morning in the kitchen, when she put the counter between herself and Sportacus.

She slowly smiled at Sportacus, then ran jumping at him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. And she kissed him. And, God help him, he kissed her back.

Robbie stomping around inside the treehouse, making noises such as ewwww, and grosss, finally made them pull apart, laughing. Stephanie slowly slid down the length of Sportacus until her feet touched the ground. She gave him one last peck in the middle of his chest, then bolted for her Uncle and Bessie to welcome them back.

Hours later, the party was still in full swing. Everyone was having a great time, well, except for you know who. It was a party of which to be proud. But, it had been a long day, an emotional day, let alone weekend, and Sportacus knew it was time for him to take his leave. He looked around though, at everyone moving, laughing, being friendly, and smiled in satisfaction.

He noticed the moon rising over the treehouse, then focused on the treehouse. He sighed and went to get the ladder. He set the ladder back in place and climbed. Sportacus stuck his head into the treehouse. Robbie was sitting beneath the window. It looked like he was still pouting.

"Well, Robbie?"

"Well, what?"

"Have you learned your lesson?"

"I didn't know there was going to be a test."

"What you did...somebody could have been killed. You understand that...right?"

Robbie ducked his head for a moment, then rotated his head up and away from Sportacus.

"You missed a fun party, Robbie. You miss out on other fun things, too. If you would let them, meet them halfway, the kids would be your friends."

"I don't need friends. Especially that pink cheerleader girlfriend of yours." Robbie gave a small sniff and shudder.

Sportacus shook his head sadly at Robbie. "You're free to leave, Robbie. I'm giving you fair warning that no one is likely to trust you to any degree for quite some time. You are going to have to earn some trust back, and it won't be easy. But, if you can learn to trust them, in time, they will be able to trust you."

Sportacus stepped off the ladder and dropped to the ground. He waited for Robbie to come down, but apparently, Robbie wasn't ready to feel freedom, yet. Sportacus thought to himself what a sad prison Robbie placed himself in, everyday. Instead, he walked over to the Mayor Meanswell..

"Mayor, I am glad you and Bessie had a great time at the conference. And, I am glad you are home safely." He stood in his superhero stance.

"Yes, we had a wonderful time! Thank you, Sportacus, for keeping an eye on Stephanie. I hope she stayed out from under you." Sportacus' eyes opened wide and his arms fell to his sides.

"I think the Mayor means 'out from underfoot'," Bessie interjected.

"Oh, yes, yes. She seems quite independent, our Stephanie, a 'hands off' kind of girl," the Mayor said.

Sportacus' eyes opened slightly wider and he cleared his throat before he answered. "Oh, no, Mayor. We got along fine." Sportacus suddenly seemed like he didn''t know what to do with his hands. If he had pockets, he'd have shoved them in by now.

The Mayor had begun to ramble. "And bouncy. She's always bouncing around. Sportacus," the Mayor looked at him questioningly, "perhaps you could find a way to ... I don't know ...focus her bouncing? Surely you can enlighten her to some organized activities involving jumping?"

Sportacus' jaw dropped open slightly. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, swallowed hard, took a gulp of air, and cleared his throat.

"Mayor, I am pretty sure Stephanie could teach _me _a few things about jumping."

"Good, good. She's such a sweet little girl. And I'm glad everything was okay this weekend. But, I'll bet she had you in the palm of her hand, superhero or not." Sportacus could feel his eyes getting big again. Unexpectantly, he remembered the feel of Stephanie's hand on his skin, fingers spread flat against his abdomen.

The mayor moved a little closer to Sportacus. "You know, if you're not careful, she will have you wrapped around her little finger. I think she might have small crush on you, Sportacus." The Mayor shook his head slowly, up and down, and smiled conspiratorily. Sportacus gave a weak half smile. All he said was, "Really?"

Sportacus repeated he was glad they were home safely, and had a great time. Bessie pulled him to her, so she could give him a peck on the cheek. She whispered in his ear, "Wonderful, simply wonderful! I don't know how we can thank you enough!"

Sportacus looked around, searching for Stephanie. She had fallen asleep again, head burried in his pillow. He looked at the Mayor and Bessie and smiled. "I have to go now, it's _way_ past my bedtime. Superhero's need their rest to stay ... super."

"You're not going to leave without saying goodbye to Stephanie?" the Mayor asked.

"She's had an exciting weekend and could probably use the sleep." Sportacus stared at her a moment. "I will try to talk to her before I go." He turned in Stephanie's direction. "Good night, Mayor, Bessie!"

"Good night, Sportacus!" the Mayor and Bessie called after him. "And thank you, again!"

The Mayor spoke to Bessie, "There goes a great superhero. I can always count on Sportacus to handle any situation. He's not afraid to get his hands on anything. Throw him anything, anywhere, anytime, and he will catch it. Nothing slips through his fingers." The Mayor gave a satisfied sigh. "Care to dance, Miss Busybody?" Bessie grinned, grabbed the Mayor by the hand, and took off dancing.

Robbie finally jumped off the last step of the ladder as Sportacus passed by. Sportacus said to Robbie, "I hope _you_ grow up someday, Robbie. So many pleasures in life you're going to miss if you don't." Robbie stuck his tongue out, then ducked behind the tree, until he got up the nerve to slink home.

Sportacus looked around. It seemed like everyone was busy having a good time. He kneeled down next to Stephanie. He gazed on her silently, stroking her hair with an imperceptable touch. He resisted the urge to stretch himself out alongside and share the pillow with her.

"Maybe someday, Stephanie. You still have a lot of girl in you, and that's a good thing. Enjoy it. You're growing up, faster than even _you_ know. Don't rush it. Anyone who cares for you will still be here, even if it's just in your heart. I love you, Stephanie." Sportacus leaned down, cupped her cheek gently, and pressed a kiss to her lips. Stephanie, dreaming, kissed him back. The sounds of the party evaporated for Sportacus.

He finally drew himself away, turned and walked under his ship. "Ladder!" The ladder descended and he climbed up into the ship. Robbie watched as the ladder disappeared and slowly the airship glided in the direction of the north star.

Robbie Rotten shuffled past Stephanie on his way home. He was the only one who heard her whisper in her sleep, "...love you, too." He froze in the middle of a step, and rolled his eyes while making a face. He took another step, then turned his head back toward Stephanie. She looked peaceful and happy. Without meaning to, one corner of Robbie's mouth pulled into a kind of smile. When he realized what he was doing, Robbie slapped the grin off his face and scowled darkly. Robbie made his way home with a look of consideration etched on his face, thinking about Stephanie.

Stephanie smiled in her sleep. She was on her side, one arm wrapped around Sportacus' pillow, her nose burried in it.

_In her dream, Stephanie floated in the midst of flower petals. She knew she had entered Sportacus' airship though she couldn't see it through the petals. _

_She was lying on a bed of flower petals and he stretched out beside her, sharing his pillow with her. She could feel his pillow under her head and she breathed in his scent. It was the scent of what she imagined a pine forest on an island in the North Sea would smell like. Pine. Salty mist. Crisp air. _

_He said to her, "I love you, Stephanie." She could feel the press of his lips on hers, and she pressed back, trying to seal their lips forever. Too soon, he moved away. _

_She eventually replied back, "I love you, too." She couldn't see him, but she felt him. He was nearby. And she was content to be inside Sportacus' airship, sharing his pillow, burried beneath his flower petals, basking in their trust. _

The End

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Love it, hate it? Too bad, I'm happy! Thank you everyone, who has given such great support and encouragement! I'll miss you. And yes, eight year old girls, having been one myslelf once upon a time, are capable of such emotions and behaviors. So there.


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